Women are finally getting the applause they deserve

The month of September started on a high note for Kenyan women, with a week of plum appointments, prestigious awards and great achievements.

Today’s piece is therefore an ode the five Kenyan women who have made the headlines this week.

First up, we have KenGen CEO Rebecca Miano, whose three-year contract at the power producing company has been renewed for another three years. Ms Miano made history as the first female CEO of the company since its inception in 1954, paving the way for many women in the energy sector.

 In a public statement announcing her contract extension, the board chair Joshua Choge attributed this move to her ‘exemplary performance’ with her leadership steering the company on a ‘growth trajectory’.

This week British American Tobacco (BAT) appointed Rita Kavashe, the managing director at Isuzu East Africa, the new chairperson of the Board. Ms Kavashe is a corporate heavy hitter, dabbling in high-profile roles such non-executive director at Bamburi Cement and vice-chair of the Kenya Private Sector Alliance (KEPSA). She also previously served as managing director, General Motors.

Inspirational news

Google East Africa now has a new country director, Agnes Gathaiya, who until her appointment was the CEO of Integrated Payment Services Limited (IPSL). Ms Gathaiya, whose career spans 21 years having previously served as head of enterprise sales, SME, channel and regional operations at Safaricom, and general manager public sector at Chase Bank.

In the start-up world, Priscilla Muhiu is the newly minted general manager for Glovo Kenya. Glovo is a delivery start-up with its headquarters in Barcelona, Spain. Ms Muhiu previously served as the regional head of marketing for Africa at Glovo.

Last but certainly not least, the Kenyan journalism fraternity celebrated the announcement of Ms. Victoria Rubadiri, a journalist with Citizen TV, who won the BBC World News Komla Dumor Award. Ms Rubadiri, who is no stranger to your screens, has been described by BBC as a ‘multifaceted journalist in East Africa’ who has interviewed some of the biggest names in current affairs and politics.

In the middle of a pandemic and what has been a very tough year for everyone, some good and inspirational news is always welcome.

Inspires other women

 To see these women who have dedicated their lives to their careers and their crafts get the recognition they truly deserve not only inspires other women, but is also an indication that we are headed in the right direction.

These are by no means small wins. They are massive steps that go a long way in encouraging women in energy, in the case of Rebecca, as well as women in the corporate world, in the cases of Agnes and Rita.

For women in the digital start-up world, there couldn’t be a better role model than in Priscilla Muhiu whose steady growth is admirable. In the case of Victoria, young female journalists can learn that no goal is too big to achieve.

Ms Chege is the Director, Innovation Centre, Aga Khan University. Views expressed are her own.