Irene Kasalu: You're talking to the next Kitui governor; there's no turning back

The mathematics equations came naturally to her. Public speaking did not. Yet in 2003, a shy Second Year University of Nairobi student found herself walking across a stage, winning the Miss Chiromo Campus pageant—a moment that would redirect the trajectory of her life in ways she could never have imagined.

Two decades later, Dr Irene Kasalu sits in her office as the two-term Kitui Woman Representative, still somewhat baffled by that pivotal victory.

"You would be shocked to know that I never ever thought of joining politics, even in my wildest dreams. I was very shy," she recalls. "Throughout my days in Ithangathi Primary School in Kitui County and Kenya High School, I was not outspoken. I was reserved. I am introverted. Although I participated in athletics, especially the short races while in primary school, I was mainly known for my academic performance, especially in mathematics."

Born and raised in Kitui East Constituency, Irene still struggles to understand how she, a girl from rural Kenya, defeated contestants born and raised in Nairobi. But that unexpected triumph planted something deeper than confidence—it planted a leadership seed.

As Irene adjusted to the attention that came with her newly acquired celebrity status on campus, something shifted. The budding scholar began seeing herself through the lens of two towering figures she had idolised growing up: Nyiva Mwendwa and Narc party leader Charity Ngilu.

Both women were trailblazers. Both were champions of women's leadership. And both, coincidentally, hailed from Kitui County. Mwendwa became the first Kenyan woman to serve as a minister. Ngilu blazed trails in political leadership, even taking on President Daniel Moi in the 1997 presidential race when Irene was in Form Three.

"The two women leaders inspired my entry into elective politics," Irene says.

Her first test came when she joined the Student Organisation of Nairobi University (Sonu), winning a hotly contested campus representative race. The position came with practical benefits—free accommodation and meals at the university—but it offered something more valuable: her first lessons in leadership.

"As a student leader, I learned that leadership is about service delivery," she says.

But transitioning from student leadership to the real political world proved anything but smooth. After graduation, Irene threw herself into academics, completing a postgraduate diploma in actuarial science at the University of Nairobi, followed by a master's degree in finance, and eventually a doctorate in applied mathematics—all from the same institution.

Juggling studies, parenting two children, and making ends meet was no walk in the park. Politics had to wait. At one point, she found herself pacing the corridors of the University of Nairobi, hawking fresh vegetables she had bought from Wakulima Market. Relief came when she landed a part-time teaching job at Meru University.

When devolution arrived, Irene was ready. She joined the race to become one of the pioneer woman representatives, this time in Nairobi County, running on a Ford Kenya ticket. She lost to Rachael Shebesh. But she had learned the ropes.

"The confidence and networks I had established in the political world illuminated my path in entrepreneurship," she explains. She landed lucrative contracts that kept her engaged. Around the same time, exposure to Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka's networks opened new doors.

Then came the opportunity: Nyiva Mwendwa, the Kitui Woman Representative, announced her retirement from active politics. The playing field levelled. Irene went for it—and won. In 2022, she successfully defended the seat.

Winning the first time was an uphill battle. Even with her urban political experience, Irene faced scepticism from those closest to her.

"It was not easy to run in the Kitui Woman Rep race. Many people, including my relatives, felt I was over-ambitious. They dismissed my candidature and instead advised that I should try my luck in the Mwingi Central Ward Rep seat," she recalls.

The war chest required to traverse Kitui County's expansive 30,500 km² presented another challenge. "In one of the fundraisers, we raised Sh200,000; not enough even to fuel the cars we used to crisscross the expansive county for a day. We didn’t give up," she says.

Her challengers tried to use her youth against her, claiming she was a young woman who could not fit into Nyiva's big shoes. Irene flipped the narrative.

"While addressing adults, I presented myself as their last-born daughter who would be available to run their errands," she explains. The trick worked.

Today, Irene still finds her political journey surreal.

"Sometimes I pinch myself. I still can’t believe I can share a table with Wiper party leader Kalonzo Musyoka. The prospect of facing off with Ngilu, whom I idolised as a young girl, sounds like a dream," she says.

But she's not dreaming anymore. She's declaring: "You are talking to the next Kitui Governor. There is no turning back."

Irene is angling for the Wiper party ticket alongside Kitui Senator Enoch Wambua and Kitui Central MP Makali Mulu to join the 2027 Kitui governorship race. If she secures the ticket, she will square off with, among others, Ngilu herself, who has already declared interest in the highly coveted seat she once occupied.

Inequality

As a prospective governor, Irene has already outlined her approach to development in the county—one that challenges the current administration's model. She takes issue with Governor Julius Malombe's Community Level Infrastructure Development Program (Clidp), which spreads county resources equally across all 40 wards.

The arrangement may sound fair on paper, but Irene argues it perpetuates inequality by treating vastly different regions the same way. She points to areas like Mutha in Kitui South, which she says lag far behind in development, as examples of regions disadvantaged by the equal distribution approach.

"Kitui needs affirmative action to a certain degree. Key townships and their surroundings often get World Bank funding as the countryside lags behind. Kitui needs someone who looks at it with an eye of equity rather than an eye of equality," she says.

"You can’t treat Kitui Township region, which is quite privileged in terms of infrastructure projects such as roads, the same way you treat Mutha region in Kitui South, which is relatively underdeveloped, and expect to have the county developed. This disparity is what I am coming to address. This is the only way we shall address water, roads, health, and other development needs in the sparse Kitui County."

It's a position that reflects her mathematical training—an understanding that equal distribution doesn't always produce equitable outcomes.

Also read: The rise of a young woman representative

The real scorecard, however, has been in making her voice count in Parliament. As patron of the National Government Affirmative Action Fund (Ngaaf), Irene has been instrumental in rolling out programmes aimed at pushing back poverty in Kitui County. Chief among them is offering bursaries to students from poor backgrounds.

"We have touched the lives of around 500 students. They include students who have acquired technical skills such as hairdressing, masonry, plumbing, and welding in technical and vocational colleges," she says.

The highlight of Ngaaf beneficiaries has been Florence Muia, a mother of seven who defied the odds to resume secondary education after 14 years of marriage. Florence grabbed national headlines in 2019 when she qualified for university after attaining an impressive KCSE mean grade of C+ at Nzuli Mixed Day Secondary School. Despite enduring public ridicule in her Thaana Nzau village, Florence persevered. Irene, who had sponsored her secondary schooling, offered to pay for her college education at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology.

Florence has since graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in public management and is currently doing an internship at the Human Resource Professionals Examination Board.

To address water shortage, which plagues Kitui County, Irene promotes rainwater harvesting through a programme that enables individuals and organised groups to own water tanks. She donates tanks to vulnerable households and has enabled members of such groups to pay for them slowly, reaching communities sandwiched between thirst and death from crocodile attacks as they draw water from rivers.

"My vision is to see every household in Kitui County harvesting rainwater. Through distributing water tanks, we are enhancing the resilience of households to drought, which is induced by climate change, one tank at a time," she says.

Criticism and praise

Not everyone is satisfied. Kyalo Muinde, an activist who heads Sauti ya Mwananchi, a lobby that promotes good governance in Kitui County, offers measured praise.

"Irene has been instrumental in fighting sexual and gender-based violence. Whenever such cases are reported, we have seen her actively pursue justice for the victims. However, we have issues with the manner in which her office operates. It lacks transparency in the distribution of bursaries and other resources to organised groups," he says.

Lydia Sila, a trader at Nguni Market, laments that Irene has left her neighbourhood out when rolling out programmes. "We have learned that she has targeted Kitui region with her water tanks programme and left out the Nguni region," she says.

Also read: Why it is not an easy ride for woman reps

Irene is among those who strongly believe that much has been achieved since the 1995 Beijing Conference. She attributes the clamour for gender mainstreaming as a key milestone toward the realisation of the two-thirds gender rule.

She has dismissed growing criticism of the woman representative position as vestiges of patriarchy, strongly believing that the affirmative action move entrenched in the constitution has enhanced the quality of leadership in the country by adding women's voices to decision-making tables.

"We all know that there are more women than men in Kenya. Societies thrive when women and young people are empowered," she says.

However, she believes the woman representative position should not be an end in itself but a stepping stone in leadership.

"Moving from zero female governors in 2013 to seven in the 2022 General Election means society is steadily warming up to women's leadership. When you look at Homa Bay Governor Gladys Wanga and former Meru Governor Kawira Mwangaza, who started as woman representatives, it underscores the significance of the woman rep position in nurturing women leaders."

As a second-term MP, Irene believes the position should be a leadership incubator.

"To get more women into leadership, affirmative positions such as the woman rep posts should be stepping stones to leadership. We need to cap the position to two terms to allow as many young women to grow the wings needed to fly," she says.

It's one of the reasons her eyes are trained on the Kitui governorship race. "At this stage, I feel mature enough to face off with men," she says.

As she reflects on her journey from that shy mathematics student to a political force preparing for a gubernatorial race, Irene leaves aspiring leaders with words from an American author and philosopher: "When you believe in something, you should let it consume you and let all other ideas evaporate. The way to success is to have one idea and let any other ideas leave your mind."

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