Isabella Leshimpiro, after being declared the winner of Angata Nanyekie Ward by-election on November 28, 2025.
It was a cocktail of emotions for Isabella Leshimpiro last Thursday, relief, disbelief and a quiet hard-won triumph, as she was declared the new Member of County Assembly (MCA) for Angata Nanyekie Ward in Samburu North.
With that announcement by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), she etched her name into Samburu’s political history books: the first woman ever elected MCA in the county and only the second woman to win a competitive political seat, after Samburu West Member of Parliament Naisula Lesuuda.
In a society regarded as highly patriarchal, her election is a first among the few.
Ms Leshimpiro, who was vying on a United Democratic Alliance (UDA)party ticket, garnered 1,239 votes to defeat her challengers, Pruline Nasieku Lenkupae of the National Agenda Party, who managed 994 votes and Orange Democratic Movement Party's Loisia Letolua (ODM), who got 957 votes.
Isabella Leshimpiro receives a certificate from Samburu North Constituency Returning Officer Shaolin Meiguran on November 28, 2025.
Ms Leshimpiro’s victory is seen as a milestone in Samburu’s traditionally male-dominated political culture, where women rarely get elective posts.
The Angata Nanyekie Ward seat fell vacant after the killing of her husband, Paul Leshimpiro, by suspected bandits in February last year and her campaign was wrapped in grief and even cultural scrutiny from opponents.
"It was not easy, even from the start. I just want to thank voters for their confidence they have bestowed in me," she said after the election.
A shift from the past
Samburu has been stagnant even as women politicians from other parts of the country wrestle for elective seats. Since independence, few women have dared to participate in politics in the patriarchal community.
Season-long patriarchal underpinnings of the Samburu culture have been undermining prospects of women in political leadership and administration posts.
Also, barriers such as exploitation of girls and female genital mutilation (FGM) have slowed the participation of Samburu women in labour, governance, and education.
Only a few women are going for the women's representative position that was created in the dispensation of the 2010 Constitution.
Isabella Leshimpiro receives her certificate from Samburu North Constituency Returning Officer Shaolin Meiguran on November 28, 2025.
Further, gendered expectations, including domestic roles, further narrow the pipeline of women who might emerge as political contenders.
As a widow seeking to succeed her husband, Ms Leshimpiro had to navigate Samburu traditions around widowhood and clan expectations. At the same time, she had to convince the Angata Nanyekie residents that a woman can serve exactly as their male counterparts.
Isabella’s candidacy drew support from local residents who, during the campaign period, described her as one with continuity who could accomplish her late husband's legacy.
The majority of voters said electing her was both an endorsement of her leadership potential and a tribute to her late husband, who was widely respected as a medic and a leader in Samburu County.
Task ahead
Isabella now faces the task of steering the Angata Nanyekie Ward forward while also navigating her new political landscape following her unexpected rise to leadership.
In her acceptance speech, Isabella thanked the Angata Nanyekie for their confidence in her and vowed to prioritize peace and development, which are the issues that have long troubled the region.
"I understand well the issues to prioritise in this tenure," she said.
Isabella Leshimpiro, after being declared the winner of Angata Nanyekie Ward by-election on November 28, 2025.
Her election may widen the path for other Samburu girls and young women who may now dare to dream of leadership roles. Even as she smiled at the Angata Nanyekie Primary School tallying centre, t Ms Leshimpiro carried the cocktail of emotions tied her success, intertwined with the loss of her husband.
In February 2024, armed bandits staged an ambush and killed Mr Paul Leshimpiro when he was heading to his home in Morijo area.
Leaders and locals blamed the desolate state of the road as one that made criminal attacks possible along the route.
The desolate road with treacherous conditions has continued to be a hotbed of criminal activity, with bandits exploiting its tracherous state to launch brazen attacks on unsuspecting travellers, as vehicles are forced to speed up to 30 kilometres per hour.
