Lesuuda, Khamati in powerful young women Forbes list

Those who’ve made the 2014 list are nominated Senator Naisula Lesuuda, Kenya Airways Captain Irene Koki Mutungi, Diplomat Yvonne Khamati and the co-founders of MFarm: Jamila Abass, Linda Kwamboka and Susan Oguya/CFM

Those who’ve made the 2014 list are nominated Senator Naisula Lesuuda, Kenya Airways Captain Irene Koki Mutungi, Diplomat Yvonne Khamati and the co-founders of MFarm: Jamila Abass, Linda Kwamboka and Susan Oguya.

Lesuuda has been recognised for her achievements as a legislator, journalist and activist.

She is currently the youngest female Senator. In 2010 the 30-year-old was the youngest Kenyan to be awarded the Presidential Order of the Grand Warrior for stories aimed at, “promoting peace among warring pastoralist communities,” and currently runs the Naisula Lesuuda Peace Foundation.

Thirty-nine-year-old Captain Mutungi has been recognised for being the first woman to earn the title in Africa, becoming the first African female Captain of a Dreamliner and for being the first female pilot hired by the national carrier, Kenya Airways.

Khamati, 32, who currently serves as Kenya’s Deputy Head of Mission in Somalia is on the list for being the youngest envoy in Kenya’s history. At 25, President Mwai Kibaki appointed her as Kenya’s Head of Chancery and Deputy Permanent Representative to the Kenya Mission to the United Nations Office in Nairobi.

Abass, Kwamboka and Oguya made it on the list for their technological innovation MFarm. MFarm, Forbes states: “could potentially transform the fortunes of millions of African farmers if replicated across several African countries.”

MFarm, founded in 2010, virtually provides farmers and consumers with the latest market prices and provides a virtual market place where they can trade.

The six were selected following nominations and according to Forbes’ Mfonobong Nsehe, were singled out for being “doers.”

The list is in its fourth year of existence and previous Kenyan honourees are Oscar Award winner Lupita Nyong’o in 2013 and Isis Nyong’o who made the inaugural list for her role as InMobi Managing Director and other accomplishments.

About The Author

OLIVE BURROWS

With a decade of storytelling under her belt, Olive Burrows has been with Capital FM for the last four years and perhaps most notably interviewed US President Barack Obama. Committed to asking the hard questions and telling the story in the most engaging way possible, she has also interviewed Melinda Gates, a UK Minister and severally had the opportunity to sit across from President Uhuru Kenyatta and address the pressing issues of the day. Other notables she has had occasion to seek answers from are UN Secretary General António Guterres and John Kerry in his time as US Secretary of State.

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