President William Ruto now says that former Kitui Governor Charity Ngilu occupies a special place in the history of Kenya.
Speaking at the launch of the Council of Governors Women caucus referred to as the G7, Ruto said that it is because she was the first Kenyan woman who dared to vie for the presidency.
He went on to say that her daring spirit inspired the many women who are leaders today.
The president urged all women leaders to extend the mentorship that was extended to them by Mama Ngilu the next generation of leaders.
"Ngilu occupies a special place in our country. She is the first woman to dare vie for president. Charity is many times hard on me but she is a great inspiration to many women across Kenya. Her daring spirit has inspired many of you who are women," Ruto said.
"The mentorship Charity gave you please mentor others going into the future,"
Speaking at the same event, Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja showered praises on the former Kitui Governor for setting the pace in women leadership in Kenya.
Sakaja said that Ngilu stood out as a beacon of hope for many women leaders.
"Thank you for paving the way for women's leadership in Kenya. If it were not for you, many women governors wouldn't have the courage to join politics," he said.
Ngilu was first elected to represent the Kitui central constituency in 1992 and went on to serve the constituency until 2013.
In the 1997 general election, Ngilu sought to become Kenya's first female president on a Social Democratic Party of Kenya ticket, finishing fifth behind the eventual winner, the late President Daniel Moi.
Later, she joined the National Party of Kenya.
In the December 2002 general election, her party was part of the National Rainbow Coalition (NARC).
The coalition went on to win the elections, and President Mwai Kibaki appointed her as Minister of Health when he named his Cabinet on 3 January 2003.
She was also appointed NARC chairperson.
Ngilu previously served as Minister for Health from 2003 until 2007 and Minister of Water and Irrigation from April 2008 to 2013.
She also served as Cabinet Secretary for Land, Housing and Urban Development from 2013 until 2015.
In 2017, she defeated then-incumbent Julius Malombe to become the governor of Kitui.
She, however, did not defend the seat in 2022.
