Born in the highlands of Taita, a county inland from the coast, her early experiences were of a landscape of hills and verdant forest. Growing up far from the sea was hardly what one would expect of someone who was to become a professional diver.
Yet, in the deep waters of the Indian Ocean, Mtakai is a calm and considerate team leader. Donning a well-worn dive suit that bears traces of countless missions, her eyes show focus and confidence. The underwater world is now a familiar space for the rescue diver.
“Whenever we see water we are always scared, but I had colleagues
in the marine sector — and I can call them my mentors — while I was employed at
the Kenya Wildlife Service,” she said after the mission.
“They encouraged me. I remember in 2011 and 2012, there were no ladies doing the diving activities.”
Mtakai's maritime story began in 2011, when she travelled to the busy Kenyan seaside for the first time. She discovered a love of the water, of the sounds of the crashing waves and the mews of seagulls. A connection with the environment, which had led her to become a park ranger, now had an entirely new focus.
She spent nine years focusing on marine conservation, safety and education. In the process, she discovered the fascinating world beneath the waves.
Intrigued and eager to learn more, Mtakai took up diving. With the encouragement of her friends, she went through vigorous training, first mastering open water diving and then taking specialised courses. Her newfound skill set opened the door to a completely new world both physically and metaphorically, pushing her from her familiar duty as a land-based ranger to the thrilling depths of the ocean.
"Whenever I am diving, it’s a different world," Mtakai said, her face beaming. "I find myself relaxed. I see different things.”
In 2020, she was seconded to the Kenya Coast Guard Service. This allowed her to fully immerse herself in her love for diving and demonstrate her skills beneath the seas. But here she encountered another challenge: she had her work cut out to regularly prove her capacity as a woman in a tough environment.
Beyond the difficulties of working in an understaffed and underskilled service, Mtakai also ensures that she and her team are properly equipped with well-serviced scuba diving gear.
MULTITASKER
While search and rescue may be one of her toughest tasks, Mtakai wears multiple hats in the Kenya Coast Guard Service.
She also oversees fishing safety training programmes, and her team management experience has been called on to help build a culture of safety and professionalism in the service.
“Most of the time the drowning cases happen when we are not there, so we are working with the communities," she said.
“We go to the beach management units, where we train fishermen on ways to save themselves, life-saving skills, checking on weather before going to the sea, and the importance of them being safe whenever they are in the sea.”
Perhaps more importantly, Mtakai is also a leader determined to break down old boundaries and has become a strong champion of the marine sector as an open and inviting environment for women.
That has offered opportunities to more women wishing to join the Coast Guard.
“When it comes to search and rescue diving, it is a male-dominated field, but I can tell you with the challenges in that field, they make you who you are,” she said.
“Like for me with the challenges I encountered, they have moulded me to who I am right now.”
She makes sure that she moves with the team, doing whatever they do.
Mtakai sees a bright future for women because they are now embracing change and showing commitment.
“When I joined the service, there were very few women who would love to go to the ocean and do the job. But for the last four years, I have seen women coming up and stepping in very nicely,” she says.
She has women taking daring jobs like diving, saving lives at sea and going out to train fishermen on drowning issues and the best methods of doing their jobs.
She has also seen women take leadership, rising through departments and sections from one level to another. She finds them inspiring and is proud of them.
Kenya Coast Guard Service law enforcement officer Kipkemoi Korir agrees. “I know three to five women who have stepped in and done a good job," he says.
Mtakai makes waves on land, too. Her work was recognised through the National Heroes Council, with a National Hero award conferred on her in October 2023 by President William Ruto.
