More than 300 influential women from Kenya's business, diplomatic, corporate, entrepreneurial, and social circles gathered in Nairobi for an afternoon built around one powerful idea: becoming the woman you are meant to be.
Entrepreneur and communications strategist Farida Idris hosted the second edition of the Suhba Series: Becoming Her, bringing together women across different industries for conversations on leadership, identity, purpose, financial independence and personal growth.
Held on Saturday at a Nairobi hotel, the curated women's experience combined meaningful conversations with high tea, luxury, networking, beauty experiences, music and immersive brand activations.
Dressed in shades of plum and purple, the room featured senior executives, entrepreneurs, diplomats, professionals, creatives and women influencing conversations across Kenya.
But beyond the elegant setting was Suhba's bigger idea: creating a space where women could move beyond professional titles, exchange ideas and form relationships that could extend beyond the event.
A room filled with powerful voices
Former Cabinet Secretary and diplomat H.E. Amb. Amina Mohamed, EGH, CAV led the programme as Keynote Speaker.
She was joined by Dr. Julie Gichuru, President and CEO of the Africa Leadership and Dialogue Institute (ALADI); Fawzia Ali-Kimanthi, Chief Consumer Business Officer at Safaricom PLC; and Sumayya Hassan, CEO of Iktifaa Shari'ah-Compliant Investment House.
Amb. Amina Mohamed challenged women to view personal growth as an ongoing journey.
“Becoming is not about arriving at a perfect version of yourself. It is about having the courage to keep growing, to keep learning and to use every season of your journey to create possibility — not only for yourself, but for the women who will come after you.”
The afternoon also welcomed Hon. Harriette Chiggai, Presidential Advisor on Women's Rights in the Executive Office of the President, as Chief Guest.
CHRP Quresha Abdullahi, Executive Director and Council Secretary of the Institute of Human Resource Management (IHRM), attended as Special Guest.
Chiggai challenged women to go beyond simply occupying spaces of influence.
“A woman should not simply be invited into the room to make the room look different. She should be able to contribute to the conversation, influence the decision and have the confidence to say, ‘This is what I think. This is what I know. This is what I bring.’”
Abdullahi also urged women to use their success to create opportunities for others.
“Let another woman’s progress be part of the evidence of your leadership.”
From 160 women to more than 300
The growth of Suhba was evident in the numbers.
The inaugural edition attracted 160 women, while this year's edition brought together more than 300, reflecting the growing appetite for spaces where women can connect beyond social media, job titles and conventional networking.
For Idris, the platform is an extension of a career spanning nearly two decades across media, communications, commercial partnerships and experiential events, including her years at Capital FM and involvement in building Koroga Festival.
Through FID & Co., she is now building original platforms and experiences around the agency's philosophy of Insight. Strategy. Impact.
“Suhba is about creating a room where women don't just listen to extraordinary stories - they recognise themselves in those stories, share their own, and leave having made connections that can extend far beyond the afternoon,” said Idris.
Where substance met style
Suhba was deliberately designed to feel different from a conventional conference.
Guests experienced a sophisticated high-tea setting alongside immersive brand activations, music, beauty experiences, gifting, photography and curated networking.
Vintage Concepts brought the Becoming Her aesthetic to life through rich purple tones, florals and elegant lounge settings.
The experience also came with some major giveaways.
Shabana Aziz walked away with return tickets to Mombasa courtesy of Skyward Airlines, while Azminah Perera won a two-night, full-board getaway for two to one of Kuriftu Resorts Ethiopia's destinations.
The result was an afternoon where business, lifestyle, sisterhood and meaningful conversations shared the same room.
Brands back the Suhba vision
The second edition was supported by 14 partners spanning financial services, telecommunications, aviation, energy, beauty, media, investment, logistics, hospitality and lifestyle.
The partners included FID & Co., FID Public Relations, Standard Investment Bank through SIB Najah, Focus Container Freight, Skyward Airlines, Vivo Energy Kenya through Shell V-Power, Safaricom PLC, Takaful Insurance of Africa, ALLSO, Lancôme Paris, Cape Media through TV47, Radio47 and TV47 Digital, Vintage Concepts and Kuriftu Resorts Ethiopia, alongside the event's wider supporting partner network.
Rather than conventional sponsorship placements, the brands were integrated into the experience through activations, gifting, beauty, travel and direct engagement with guests.
The real work starts after the event
For Idris, the success of Suhba will ultimately be measured by what happens after the high tea ends.
Her vision is to build a community where women across generations and industries can form genuine relationships, create business opportunities, mentor one another and open doors for those coming behind them.
“A beautiful room gets people talking. A meaningful conversation gets them thinking. But the real magic is what happens afterwards - the partnerships formed, the doors opened, and the women who leave inspired to pursue something bigger. That's the legacy we're building with Suhba,” said Idris.
The Becoming Her conversation was moderated by Zainab Ismail, while media personality, MC, event host and content creator Muthoni Irungu served as Master of Ceremonies.
About Suhba Series
Suhba Series is a curated women's platform founded by Farida Idris and produced by FID & Co.
The platform brings together women across generations, industries, faiths, and backgrounds for meaningful conversations around leadership, identity, personal growth, and opportunity, complemented by premium lifestyle, networking, and brand experiences.
