Women awarded by President Ruto during International Women's Day

President William Ruto bestowed honor and recognition upon 10 women including First Rachel Ruto during the celebration to mark International Women's Day.

Ruto was the Chief Guest during the ceremony observed at Moi Stadium in Embu County on Friday.

The awards not only spotlight individual accomplishments but also symbolize a collective stride toward a more inclusive and equitable society.

Here is the list and the citations.

Rachel Ruto

Executive category

Rachel was recognized for her efforts in promoting the plight of women and girls including the promotion of clean cooking solutions, environmental conservation, mental health and wellness and financial empowerment of rural women.

Through the Mama Doing Good initiative where she is the patron, it has seen over 300 women in TransNzoia, West Pokot and Turkana counties access clean cooking stoves to mitigate the effects of traditional cooking methods on their health and the environment.

She has committed to empowering 2.5 million women with opportunities, skills, and tools that will empower them to become economically productive, especially through financial inclusion and financial health; micro, small, and medium enterprises; capacity building and livelihoods; and trade and market access.

Jackline Saleiyan

She was honored under Economic and Financial Inclusion for Women and Girls.

She was recognized for her efforts in empowering young mothers economically through training programs that equip women with marketable skills for international sales through collaborative sponsorship.

Saleiyan is a philanthropist and founder of A Pack A Month, a community-based organization that mentors and avails pads monthly to 400 girls and young women in Kajiado.

She has been the champion of the welfare of the girl child and has made it her life mission to amplify the voices of girls and young women nationally and internationally.

Brig. Joyce C. Sitienei

She was honored under the Peace and security category.

She was recognized for her efforts in advancing the cause of women's and girls' peace and security as a pioneer in peacekeeping missions and leadership roles, showcasing her expertise in creating inclusive and effective peacekeeping practices.

Sitienei is one of the most senior-ranking female officers in KDF. 

She is the Director of the International Peace Support Training Centre (IPSTC) in Nairobi, Kenya, a centre of excellence mandated to build capacity in international peace support operations that involve the military, police and civilian personnel.

Since 2015 she has led the organisation’s efforts to integrate gender fully into peacekeeping operations.

She has been spearheading the integration of women in the three services of Army, Navy and Airforce.

A gender policy that included women’s increased participation in peacekeeping operations was developed in 2017.

Eunice A.J. Dobby

Dobby was honored under the Women in Leadership and Decision-Making category.

This is in recognition of her dedication to mentoring the youth in a bid to nurture their potential and inspire the next generation.

Dobby is a pioneer female pilot and fully rated flight instructor.

She is serving at the secretariat of the Regional Center on Small Arms (RECSA) as the Director of Administration and Finance.

She joined the Secretariat in September 2022 on secondment from the government of Kenya.

Her dedication and commitment to the mentorship program has seen her recognised by various institutions Kenya Literature Bureau and her photographs grace the cover page of secondary Christian religious education students' book four, second edition.

Anne Gloria Njoki

Reproductive Health for Women and Girls category.

This is in recognition of her pioneering efforts of developing a groundbreaking innovative Mobile App that is sexual and reproductive health rights in sign language.

She has further produced 14 film series and trained healthcare providers in Kenyan sign language.

She is the founder of the Deaf Outreach Program (DEAFOP) which offers an inclusive learning platform through a learning management system (LMS) for children with hearing impairment between the ages of five to eighteen.

The platform is a repository of developed sign language educational curriculum content for primary and high school students.

The content is accredited by the Ministry of Education in Kenya and is accessible online and offline through a mobile-based application.

The organisation has already onboarded 3 high schools with 150 learners.

Moraa G. Obiria

Climate Change category.

She was recognized for her efforts in climate change advocacy, using podcasts to amplify women's voices and shed light on the challenges faced, ultimately fostering a more inclusive and gender-sensitive approach to address and alleviate the effects of climate change.

She is an award-winning journalist, and a specialist in communication, gender and development.

She also has a passion for gender and development and writes on gender, climate change, and the environment.

Zipporah Nderitu

Access to justice category.

She earned the recognition for her unwavering commitment to fostering an inclusive environment in access to justice for women and girls through initiatives like POLICARE, mentorship programs, and awareness campaigns.

In 2023, she received the International Award for Women in Policing in New Zealand.

Nderitu is Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) and the recipient of the 2023 International Association of Women of Police-'Prevention of Violence Against Women and Children' award.

She is currently in charge of coordinating Policare.

Policare is a one-stop centre offering integrated services to victims and offenders SGBV.

It hosts victims' interview rooms for women and children, crime records room, a triage, forensic evidence storage room, trauma centres, a room for medical examination and P3 issuance, and male and female holding cells.

It also facilitates expeditious justice and closure of SGBV cases by ensuring knowledge management and capacity building for effective victim support and justice.

Policare centres were launched in 2021 and are set to be established across the country and will be fully equipped to provide medical-legal, psychosocial and forensic services.

Juliana Miheso

Mariam EL-Maawy Award category.

The honor is in recognition of her tireless efforts and innovative approaches contributing to a positive shift in the academic landscape for girls in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) subjects through her teaching career.

Alice Ng’ang’a

Parliament category.

The Thika Town MP was recognized for her efforts in promoting gender equality and women empowerment in her capacity as the Chairperson of the Parliamentary Committee on Social Protection.

This award according to Ng'ang'a serves as a testament to the collective dedication to a more inclusive and equitable future.

Gladys Wanga

County government category.

The Homabay Governor was recognized for her efforts in promoting the plight of women and girls including among others, promotion of clean cooking solutions, environmental conservation, mental health and wellness and financial empowerment of rural women. 

She has been advocating for the leadership to be geared towards realizing the dreams and aspirations, in the hearts and minds of every Kenyan adding that leadership is about service to the people.

Wanga is among the 12 African women leaders who have been selected to join the Amujae Initiative, a flagship program under the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf (EJS) Presidential Center for Women and Development.

She will be part of the third cohort of leaders from 10 countries that include government ministers, MPs, senior government advisors and activists.

There are 42 Amujae leaders in total, divided across three cohorts that began in 2020.