Narok celebrates as first Maa woman joins Cabinet on Wednesday, September 28, 2022
Former Narok Woman Representative Soipan Tuya becomes the first Maa woman to be appointed to Cabinet as Environmental CS
What you need to know:
Soipan Tuya is a woman of many firsts having served as the first woman representative of the county.
She has been named as the Environment CS replacing the outgoing Keriako Tobiko, fellow tribesmen who hails from Kajiado County.
Celebrations rented air in Narok as the first-ever woman from the Maa community is named in the Cabinet post.
Soipan Tuya is a woman of many firsts having served as the first woman representative of the county having serving for two terms before shifting her focus.
Ms Tuya has been named as the Environment CS replacing the outgoing Keriako Tobiko, fellow tribesmen who hails from Kajiado County.
After she quit her Woman Rep position in the run up to this year’s polls, Ms Tuya expressed her interest in the governorship.
She was later asked to shelve her ambitions in favour of the current Narok Governor Patrick Ntutu under the UDA party arrangements.
Soipan Tuya – A 42 year old Lawyer Born from a political Family is a woman of Many Firsts
Triple lucky
Ms Tuya, an advocate by profession was triple lucky in President Dr William Ruto’s administration.
She also served at the Kenya Kwanza campaign Secretariat member.
Ms Tuya was also in the recent list of party nominees where she had been listed as Senate nominee in the gender top up.
A section of environmentalists from the county led by Patu Naikumi who is the chair of the Mau Forest Conservancy Committee, hailed Ms Tuya as a brilliant professional with great intellectual capacity.
“As Maasai community we are privileged to have the first woman from the community to get such a plum position. We have confidence that she will pick from where Mr Tobiko left as far as environmental conservation is concerned,” said Mr Naikumi.
Mr Naikumi has, however, called on the new CS to be vigilant on the recently-introduced ‘shamba system’ which is said was posing a threat to the Kenyan forests.
“She has come at a time when the ‘shamba system’ has been introduced. The system needs regulation through clear policy formation and if not checked, might be hazardous to environment,” said Mr Naikumi.
In traditional Maasai households, men were the heads of the home, livestock defenders and leaders. The woman’s place revolved around tending goats, milking cows and taking care of the children.
But things have changed over the years, although cultural barriers continue to hinder women from ascending to elective leadership.
As the 2022 General Election draws closer, women aspirants in Narok are already crowding for the woman rep seat that was specially created to bridge the gender parity gap in political representation.
So far, no woman has expressed interest in the parliamentary, ward representative or senator seats.
But one bold woman leader had chosen to break the ceiling by declaring her interest battling it out with men for the county’s top job.
Ms Tuya, 42, a lawyer by profession who also serves as the chair of the Speaker’s Panel, seemed not to be taking any chances as she sought to become the county’s first woman governor.
Born in a political family β her father Samson ole Tuya served as Narok South MP β Ms Tuya was on a mission to prove naysayers wrong.
She had earlier hinted that her quest for the governorship was inspired by powerful women leaders such as neighbouring Tanzaniaβs President Samia Suluhu Hassan.
