How Julia Ojiambo set the political pace for women

Prof Ojiambo at a past function /FILE

When Prof Julia Ojiambo first boarded the train as a young girl, heading off to school with nothing but determination and dreams, she never imagined that decades later, she would be in the heart of Kenya’s turbulent political arena.

From humble beginnings in a small village in Samia, Busia county to making history as the first female Assistant Minister, her journey is a testament to resilience, courage and an unbreakable spirit.

But just who is Prof Julia Auma Ojiambo?

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"Julia Ojiambo is a Kenyan woman politician, academic, researcher and gender activist,” she said in her opening remarks.

Born on November 29, 1936 in the current Busia county, she grew up “like any other girl child in the village” as the daughter of pioneer African missionaries.

Julia’s educational history is a curation of impressive milestones. Her journey to the highest of education was full of ups and downs, walking long distances in search of education.

“At just nine years, I would walk for almost 70km from Samia to Butere Girls since it was the only girls’ school offering that level of education,” she said.

After sitting her Class 8 examinations, she was among the few lucky girls to join the Africans Girls’ High School, now Alliance Girls’ High School, where she continued with her excellent performance up to A levels and later joining the Royal Technical College (Now University of Nairobi) to further her education.

Travelling to Alliance Girls on the train was an experience she recounts as breathtaking.

“I would be excited when the train stopped at Kedo,” she recalls with a nostalgic smile. “Kedo was rich in beef, and I knew I would get a plate of chapati and tea before continuing my journey. Those little joys kept me going.”

FIRSTS AFTER SCARE

Ojiambo’s journey was not always smooth. Growing up during Kenya’s fight for Independence meant that even as a child, she faced life-threatening dangers.

One such incident remains etched in her memory. At the time, Mau fighters had intensified their war against colonial rulers, and her school (Alliance Girls) was at the centre of the heavy fighting.

The school administration had to transfer all the girls to a missionary camp in Machakos for their safety.

Life in a missionary camp in Machakos was not that easy because of the heat and the general living conditions. One day, tragedy struck.

“It was a Sunday morning, I was sleeping outside when I felt a sharp pain on my toe,” she says.

“I turned around and saw a snake slithering away. I was bitten. My friends rushed to tie my leg and carried me down the hill to the little hospital in Machakos. I was fighting for my life.”

She survived but the experience left a mark on her. “After I healed, I told my parents I wasn’t going back to school. But they insisted. They assured me I would be safe, and that belief in me kept me moving forward.”

Thereafter, it was success after success. She was the first African student to set foot at the Royal Technical College before it was renamed the University of Nairobi.

The first Kenyan woman to enrol at Harvard University. She was the first woman to graduate with a PhD in Kenya, and the first PhD in the CHS Department of Community Health.

That’s not all. She was the first black African lecturer at the University of Nairobi. Political milestones followed.

She was the first female MP from Western province (Funyula constituency seat) after she was elected to Parliament in the 1974 General Election (and the second woman elected to Parliament after Grace Onyango).

The first female to serve as a member of the Cabinet of Kenya. And a plethora of President’s Awards ensued: CBS (2017), MBS (2003) and EBS (2015).

ENTRY INTO POLITICS

Determined to excel, she pushed through every challenge and made her way to Alliance Girls and then to Harvard University — an extraordinary achievement at the time.

“Many of the girls I grew up with were still stuck in the same cycle of early marriage and domestic life,” she says.

“I had travelled the world, but back home, nothing had changed for them. That realisation hit me hard.” After excelling in academia, she became the first female lecturer at the University of Nairobi.

“I loved teaching. I was in the lab 24 hours a day, working with medical students, education students — everyone. I never imagined leaving that life.” But fate had other plans. Her entry into politics was unexpected.

“I never thought about politics. Never learned it, never trained for it,” she admits.

“But one day, elders from my village called a meeting and told me, ‘We need you to lead." She hesitated. “I was a researcher. I had a stable career. Why would I leave all that for politics?” The elders were insistent.

“They told me, ‘We will teach you the language of politics. Just like you learned in books, you will learn from us.’”

Eventually, she accepted the challenge, not because she wanted power, but because she wanted to uplift her people.

“My goal was never to get a political position. It was to help my community.” Running for office as a woman in a male-dominated field was no easy task. Her opponent was a seasoned politician, well-funded and deeply entrenched in the system.

“I had only Sh70,000 to my name,” she recalls. “I bought a small Datsun 1100CC with it and hit the road.

Meanwhile, my opponent had all the resources, vehicles, youth groups and even government security.”

Her biggest supporters were women, young people and the elderly.

“They had no money, but they gave what they could, a meal, a place to rest, moral support.” But as Election Day neared, the campaign turned violent.

“My opponent started using brutal tactics. His supporters carried pangas and axes. They would cut off ears to instil fear.”

Her own husband was a victim of the brutality. “On election day, he was attacked. They chopped his vehicle with pangas and cut off part of his ear. It was terrifying.” Despite the dangers, she remained undeterred.

“Fear was not an option,” she says. “If I backed down, I would be letting down all the people who believed in me.”

Despite the threats, intimidation and violence, she won. She had done the impossible, defeated a political giant as an underdog with no wealth or connections.

“The day I was announced the winner, my people wept,” she says. “The elders, the women, the youth, they had risked their lives for this moment.”

But even in victory, the challenges did not end. “When I went to collect my retirement benefits from the University of Nairobi, they told me there was nothing for me,” she said.

“At the time, there were no proper retirement schemes. I had left everything behind for politics.” Even the President, who was also the chancellor of the university, had tried to dissuade her.

“He told me, ‘If you leave, don’t come back. I won’t employ you anywhere in government.’”

She had risked it all and won.

University of Nairobi Council chairperson Prof Julia Ojiambo during the 62nd graduation ceremony held in Nairobi on December 20, 2019 /ENOS TECHE

GREAT EXPECTATIONS

As Kenya’s first female Assistant Minister, she understood the weight of her position. “I wasn’t just representing myself.

I was representing every woman who had been told she wasn’t good enough.” Her focus remained on development and education.

“I knew that the key to real change was knowledge. I wanted to make sure no girl in my village ever had to fight just to get an education.”

She championed policies that prioritised women’s education, maternal health and rural development. “I believed that when you empower a woman, you empower an entire generation,” she says.

Her leadership also brought international recognition. She represented Kenya in numerous global forums, advocating for women’s rights and policy changes that would benefit future generations. Despite not being very active in politics, Prof Julia Ojiambo continues to mentor young leaders.

“Leadership is not about the title. It is about the impact,” she says. “I may no longer be in government, but my duty to the people does not end.”

She remains active in community work, supporting scholarships for young girls and championing causes that uplift marginalised groups. Looking back, she sees her journey as one of purpose.

“It wasn’t easy. But if I had given up at any point, what message would that have sent to the next generation?” Her story is one of triumph over adversity, of breaking barriers and inspiring future leaders.

From a young girl who travelled on a train for education to a woman who stood her ground against a political powerhouse, she embodies resilience, courage and the power of belief.

“If you believe in something, fight for it,” she says. “No matter how hard it gets, no matter how many people say you can’t do it. Because if I did it, so can you.”