Ida Odinga, wife of ODM leader Raila Odinga, was among the women celebrated by President Uhuru Kenyatta as a Trailblazer on Thursday.
Uhuru launched the Trailblazers Movement during the unveiling of Phoebe Asiyo’s memoir ‘It is Possible: An African Woman Speaks‘ at State House, Nairobi.
Asiyo was awarded alongside the late Margaret Kenyatta, veteran politician Julia Ojiambo, former Dagoretti MP Beth Mugo, and former Kitui woman representative Nyiva Mwenda.
Others were KANU’s former nominated senator Zipporah Kittony, author Wanjiku Kambera, and founder of African Forum of Women Leadership Edah Gachukia among many others.
A total of 30 women were feted by the president who further directed the Ministry of Public Service to make the Women Trailblazers Award an annual event.
Gender Affairs CAS Rachel Shebesh said most women who were honoured were from the Maendeleo ya Wanawake Organisation.
She hailed the organisation for its wide grassroot networks in East and Central Africa saying that most of the women go through the organisation before becoming leaders.
Raila, who was present during the event, proposed to the government to establish a writers’ institution as is the case in South Africa.
This was supported by the President who directed Education CS Amina Mohammed to work towards encouraging more Kenyans to write their memoirs.
