 Good morning. Welcome again to Y254 TV. This is why in the morning where we get to do WCW and Strength of a Woman. In this week's Strength of a Woman, we are highlighting Seneta Ester Okenuri, who is the youngest senator. She's in the building to talk to us about Marta's women and governors. Kha ribu sana Seneta. Thank you so much. I'm happy to be here. We really appreciate your coming. It's my first time. I actually didn't know we have a young or youth fuchane like this, so I'm happy to be on this platform. We really appreciate it. So let's just dive right in. You're the youngest senator. Yes, yes, and I think for in that case I say maybe I was an anticipated visitor in the Senate. Because I came in after someone left the Senate to join the cabinet as a cabinet secretary. So I joined the other Senators two months later. So maybe briefly introducing myself as you've said it very well. My name is Okenuri Ester. I'm a nominated Senator by the United Democratic Alliance Party in the youngest years for that case. You know people say the Senate is a house of retirees. But we're here to change narrative though by way of special election, that's nomination. So I serve as the vice chair of the trade industrialization and tourism committee. I'm a member of the Senate health committee and a member of the powers and privileges committee. In generally we are now here. There are so many other issues that are going on in the Senate but maybe briefly because now this is a young people setup maybe I should just give my story in a brief. I would probably inspire someone out there. I actually I went to school years eventually did well in my primary school, joined Kenya high school then later joined Masaimara University. In Masaimara University as I served as a student leader. In high school I was also a school official in primary. So you see I'm building up a case on leadership. So after campus like Kenya the hustling young person I was out here I think for one year trying to get a footing and the first job I got was with Safaricom as a call center person those guys who pick your calls when you're calling to complain about. So those ones that I was saying sorry the more oh yes so I was there I think for seven months then I left joined now politics by then the 2017 campaigns for the re-election of President Uhuru Kenyatta then were top notch and because of my experience as a student leader I had all stood down a lot at my community especially with the young people. We have a community based organization by the name KC Youth Alliance so most of the activities we engaged in especially on charity and at times we involved ourselves in these political processes. So it is at that point that I actually had an encounter with the deputy president then is Excellency Dr. William Ruto now the president and we really worked very hard to ensure that the president was seeking re-election then was elected and I was anticipating to be nominated to the county assembly of KC because I was in the village guys did some Ujanja in Nairobi and I went to court I went to the lower court I caught court of appeal and I thought I think justice at times you can be frustrated so now I left pursuing court I now went back home to continue with other activities I was helping my mother with so at that point I think a year later I had an opportunity to then work at the office of the deputy president you see how God works that door actually closed and another door opened so in his office I worked in the strategy and delivery unit and our work was majorly on tivet because you remember Jubilee had an agenda of equipping young people with skills in a bid to solve or curb the issue of youth unemployment so I worked together with the members of parliament from the different constituencies at least in pushing this agenda and somehow because the Honorable William Ruto has always had the issue of technical education skills that had we were able to implement that very successfully so later then at the verge of the breakup in Jubilee I opted to stick with the deputy president because then is the one who had given me that opportunity and politically I thought it's good to stick with someone who was with you and you were in bad times so later now we now UDA came up we contributed to the building of UDA I was contributing largely to the command centers you would see that were giving parallel results before IBC did their thing all the way from Samueni to Kiyamba I also ran women for Ruto a movement that was mobilizing young women to support the election of Dr. William Ruto as president I also was key in communication in in in messaging of what our what our manifesto and agenda as Kenya kwanzaa was all this culminated to my short listing in the in the nomination list you understand we have 47 elected senators from the 47 counties then we have 16 women we have two youth we have two persons with disability so as per cases of gender issues the senate is compliant because then we have the 16 women you know and like the national assembly so that's how I ended up in the senate when I actually now in the first the first time UDA nominated eight people I was number nine on the list so I didn't manage so people someone would ask why okay how did you feel but I was very optimistic because my my first interest was I really wanted to see see William Ruto ascent to power because I know he had he still has a very good agenda and interest for especially ordinary people because he's been there before so he understands because look at my case I didn't know William Ruto we met Uko on the ground Mashinani and the rest was history but I think he's a man who knows how to identify talent and inspire team spirit so when Soipant we are honorable the cabinet secretary left because initially she was nominated so they are fail our vacants so that's how I came in I was next on the IBC list so now I'm in the senate immediately I got my first assignment was to serve in the impeachment committee that was listening to the case by the Meru mcs again it's their own governor you just from just imagining you just from you thought this is not here yeah you thought you had lost it then all of a sudden you're now here and not only that you've been thrown into the can you imagine but I think the the opportunity actually came at the right time I now had a platform or have a platform to show people what I basically can do or what I was capable of doing or maybe what they would have missed by not having me in the senate I have a question I want to ask you given the story you you've narrated you have a couple of you have a couple of setbacks where very many only that have made it very short you have a couple of setbacks how are you able to navigate through setbacks those setbacks and you know imagine to this I am a very resilient person and I think this is what makes me different you know most young people of my age might not have the energy to keep fighting but then you realize the society is not friendly to you at all first because you are a young person then you're a woman then who knows you anyway I was not among those big names who were anticipated so you see you're dealing with very many issues before you even get to the level where the rest are so you don't give up and you I strongly believe in hard work and God those three things I think with those you should not be able to give up on anything you want to do because I'm a true example I actually keep insisting that I'm a true example of the bottom up philosophy that we largely campaigned on because look at this I am from a very tiny village in Kisi which some of you would not even locate its code in it and then here comes someone by the name deputy president identifying me I am not a big name and consequently I failed to get to the county assembly then the next thing I am I also fail in the first attempt to get to the Senate but then God opens other doors and now I have that platform and then if you actually observe my journey looks like God surely has a plan for me because themes are opening up but then I attribute it to believing in God and working very hard when you do straight things your agenda will always succeed because then you're networking with the right people you're not concentrating in meddling in other people's affairs you have an agenda so you get focused on what what you want to do um do you experience instances where people think that oh she's young oh she's a woman oh she can't like people view differently in terms of perception and making decisions um initially maybe I would say initially initially there's those instances because I first I personally carry myself a beating I'm easy so by the time we even say oh sometimes I go to places and before someone even before even say oh someone would ask me even when I walked to this place the soldier the gate asked me what your name and I was like I'm Okenuri I didn't even say I'm Senator Okenuri so before you realize someone would handle you differently when they realize and they are trying to now deal with you to try being nice I'm like you don't have to treat people because of the positions they hold just treat people equally the way you would want to be treated so I agree first at first there are people who feel like that but then when now you sit in committees you present your issues at the floor of the house then people realize this is not even the person we were this is not the person we were thinking like either is incapable and then they now treat you like they would treat other people in fact at the Senate I would say we have very sober 100 members very accommodative I think is the best platform I would have had at this point to learn from I'm actually running from learning from the best debaters grassroots mobilizers lawyer persons in their various parties so I'm learning from a wide range of quality quality quality in the political process so yes being a young person at times people would think maybe there's nothing much you have to offer but how people view you is how you present yourself if you present yourself like a joker that's how people can treat you if you present yourself like a serious individual people will surely handle you like that and you will share tables with the who's because of how you carry yourself so you do know so you do not have to doubt the things you're presenting be confident in what you're doing no one is going to no one is going to stand up and say I think I like AC before you before you actually live and like and believe in what you're doing you have to believe in what you're doing first before members of the public surely stand up and also say we think we subscribe to what AC is doing or what AC is talking about that's how you get following and that's how you get people embracing whatever ideas you bring because at the Senate also it involves lobbying engaging other senators so that your issue is able to proceed you cannot work as a one man like it's a one man show you have to embrace teamwork consulting because you don't you also do not have monopoly of ideas yes similarly to that question you came in to replace soipantria is there a perception that there is you need to fit into soipantria shoes and not really I am this is a very different person I have a way of I have a way of articulating issues which is a big which could be different from what she was doing and I'm bringing in a new a new looking of things I'm a young person I am a woman for that matter the region I come from and I represent the young people who are from ordinary backgrounds who are struggling to make it in these national platforms so I think I'm different I'm bringing a different taste of taste of things in this political process and in the Senate to be specific because you realize as young people if you're not in a decision making platform your issues will rarely be discussed and I attempt to keep encouraging young people that all of us cannot be at the Senate but we are at the Senate you can express your views through us because that's where we end on those platforms you can equally channel your contributions through the different youth organizations they belong to because then those organizations normally like during making of laws sometimes they be sent out to the public for public you know they need views from the public at that point we are looking up to young people those youth organizations to give their views so that we also have young people views so that we can push legislation that is relevant to our fellow young people so yes there are those who would look at you want to compare you but I think I'm completely different and I'm bringing a different way of looking at leadership that you actually do not have to be very abrasive to get your point across you can actually negotiate and be very accommodative and defa kami and still achieve what you want to do what do you think is the greatest impediment for women to scale higher leadership roles um one most of us look at the whole issue of empowerment or the discussion about gender you know the discussion about gender is not just about women because now we are in a situation where if you realize nowadays sometimes even attend interviews there are more women than the men so I think where most of our women fail is first pursuing the agenda of women empowerment like a war against men the more you take it like a war against when you've lost it before you even begin now because like me most of the people I'm supported by women but equally by a large number of men so I'm not going to sell myself out there like we are agitating for women yes we want more women in these spaces but we also have to realize our male counterpart a part of our existence and we actually need to have them in this agenda so that we can achieve for example look at the national assembly and the senate we are not women are not the majority so if you are to push your agenda under the issues of because you are a woman they will never sink through so you have to find a way yes you are a woman but you have to realize even the male counterparts do exist and they are part of these processes and to actually achieve what we want to do we have to incorporate them as our champions also so largely when I look at it that's one then secondly women are financially incapacitated because there's a direct relationship between finances and politics so many other things require resources most women have either to take care of their children do family work or if they are even going to work they are not earning as much as maybe their husband would be earning so are you going to spend your little savings in politics or take care of your family so for those ones who hoped to spend it in politics at times people would eat your money and you don't even win and you'll be back frustrated so finances the issue of looking at this as a war against men and the other one we come from societies that have generally accepted that you know may the male counterparts are the ones who are fit to be in those positions so we need to really work in trying to change the perception and you can only change the perception by incorporating them in this process of the things you're doing if you're going to the ground to meet people don't just meet women meet even the male voters so that you involve them in whatever you're doing that way you'll be changing the perception slowly and I think so far we are doing well you see we have more than five female governors we have so many elected women in single constituencies apart from the woman representatives so I think we are on a right footing because I equally still believe it's not about the numbers it's about the quality of the people we are bringing in those houses we should be in a position whereby you can surely campaign on an agenda or issues and your people elect you by not looking at you as a woman first and this will largely lie on how you handle yourself yes do you think it's necessary for us to have a conversation about women I think we've had you know so much awareness has been done on women I think the society is now aware it's up to the women to now fit in in the society and blend with every other person because then if we overemphasize on that then we risk what we are now seeing which I'll do on a complaint sana and I do not have sufficient statistics to show the same but you you can tell you you can actually see it even when we walked in this room you know you could just tell so I think the conversation about women empowerment has been it's been awareness has been largely created what just needs to be done is for the women to know they are now fit to go out for some of these positions not just politics even in the corporate sector even in the different groups that are existing don't look at it like you know what are people going to say about me like when I went to Masaimara University I contested and became the first female vice president of the student union why because when I came I realized the ladies were not going for that position they were just going for catering and there was another one so they were going for two so I decided I wanted to change this narrative and do you know people buy in you have to set an agenda you have to set an agenda but driven from what you hear that is lacking where people are you know you can't come up with a solution which is not like people initiated the people I largely insist on the people because in political leadership they are everything you can't come today with a project and say okay I'm starting this project you've not sought the views of people on how they think they can solve those ordinary problems I think and I think that's another thing generally this country is facing but as we we proceed I think that the conversation a lot of awareness has been done it's now I'm now challenging the young women out there and young people to take up these spaces because you will not be followed up and be given something from the comfort of your chair you have to come out and show the world what you can do yeah I understand you have passion for young people and and children in particular do you have any projects any decisions you're working with so currently you note um this is my fourth man I have a three-nit mail but I have so many so if I have bills in the pipeline that you know I'm working on I also have motions and true to your statement I have a lot of interest in children because I think we have so we have had so much awareness on these other categories of people and no one is talking about the children and they are the ones who transit to become the youth the women you know right now if you look at the media or generally social media very worrying statistics of things that affecting school going children school going age children and thereby denying them some of the opportunities they they would have had like you so have been even following up about the issue of baby cycle news eyes were removed you know I honestly think of in as much as the baby will be fine but reality is something should have been done especially our justice system and society generally we now need to embark on a serious awareness creation so that people know even the bible even the bible says let the children come to me that's how that's how special they are if we continue you letting our children be in very risky environment and we are not taking action as the society or parent or the administrations in place then we have a reason to be very worried so I'm working on several legislative proposals to protect such kind of such kind of issues I have also a lot of interest on governance because you realize at the senate we we we are there to defend the interests of county government the conversation as it is now looks like devolution has stagnated and devolution was meant to bring services closer to the people who are these people the include young people who are watching us this morning so I also have legislative proposals on in that line to also ensure there are issues that are not very clear whatever proposals I'll be bringing on board will be addressing some of these issues and you see you might not have given someone that 50 healings but through those proposals you're bringing the change is trickling down to thousands of people you didn't anticipate yeah and what do you think is the position of women in this era of technology no the conversation right now has been on matters digital moving to the technology and to the digital space even with the culmination of the international women's day last week the the entire conversation around was about women being in a digital space so what do you think is the place of women in technology currently I can current I do not have a yet statistics I can quote but I think we do not have a very good number of women embracing the digital space and if we have them they are women within a certain age young people I celebrated international women's day in my village and I can tell you when we had that conversation most of those older women do not even understand and you see for that category of people we will not compel them to join some of those platforms or embrace some of those ideas the only alternative would be then to have the young people who can support maybe disseminate information that they would have rather found on in those spaces because we also want to deal with the realities we are facing there are mobile fund providers who are providing smartphones to people in those rural areas a smartphone that would have cost 10 000 shillings when they provide it and tell you to pay by the end of the month you see you like you pay daily with interest by the time you're done paying you pay like 20 000 so people in those villages let me use the example maybe the young women in the village is someone going to pay for a smartphone or are they paying for their children to go to to school so in as much as we want women to embrace that conversation because it will largely solve a part of the challenges we have but we also have to be alive to the realities of the challenges we encounter as a country and as a people it's a priority yes to be in a society that is techno-saving because then we are solving many other issues like you'll be able to do very many things from the comfort of where you are you can share information you can do research you can improve issues of farming education you see but the reality is it's still a challenge because of the economics status that majority of the kenyans are in I'm not going to look for a smartphone and I have to buy meals for my supper but for the ones who have I would really encourage especially young people to use their gadgets and social media platforms positively because I'm a beneficiary of good use of social media most people who know me have known me through either Facebook Twitter and because of the kind of content I share and for the ones who are not on those social platforms who are either doing research use that to come up with innovations that can provide or that can provide solutions to the challenges we are facing in this country but for the ordinary mamboga we just need I think we need to understand them at that point that I'd rather buy a daily look for something to feed myself and acquire a smartphone but it's a good conversation but when you compare with the realities those are those ideal things we talk about you know ideally any young person should be going to school and get that all they are maybe the money for school fees is sorted but is that the ideal situation so in as much as we are striving to be somewhere we also have to appreciate that we have challenges we are dealing with and see how we can move with this too to kisonga and that brings me to something different the conversation that has been happening lately about the CAS position that is the chief administrative secretaries and there has been this heated conversation about the importance of those of those positions now in the last regime we had four CASs from the youth bracket what do you think is the future of this coming up in the given that you're also part of the UDA in leadership so what do you think is going to what what do you project will happen honestly you know these are initially these positions people argue that they were not constitutional they have go through the public service and the public service invited the public to give their views on what they thought the public gave their views and you saw guys who were shortlisting now we are waiting for the president to actually appoint from the shortlist that was submitted to him my anticipation is young people would also feature in those in those appointments because in as much as people would argue in the previous administration we had those positions but because it was good then no one had an issue about it and you see these people also coming in to feel or compliment whatever the government is doing you know you cannot like let me give this example had entire had gotten this position even if people would argue that you nominated but now I have a platform to show people that I was actually nominated out of merit you would never use as a single doubt cases to judge the rest of the public so for the CSS appointment surely as a an ardent supporter of this current administration embracing the challenges we have and looking forward to better performance for the future I'm hoping that the young people would be featured in the appointment that are coming it's one way of also breeding leaders we want to transit to elective politics or other positions in this country if you do not give people an avenue you have no chance of knowing what they can do I would you would condemn them forever and kumbe you're sitting on very many great talents that would have been showcased or be seen by the public by giving them those opportunities another thing this is a political process you una lima u lichopanda I mean una vuna u lichopanda so as it is if we serve at the place of the appointing authority if the president will deal certain people fit for those positions who am I to say no I'm a beneficiary of the same now brings me to this question as we talk about that the constitution advocates for 30 percent of tenders to be allocated to people with special needs women and the youth I understand you are still trying to find a way around given that you've said your format into office yes but what plans do you have to ensure that you advocate for the inclusion of youths into this we tell you already that's factor info but the problem we are having now we have some uh what would I call them we have some individuals who are using companies owned by young people to access some of those opportunities you see how do you how do you stop that one if someone has a as registered as a young person they have their company but they hoped to give it out to an individual who has money or something is corrupting the system you see and it still comes down to the issue that most of the young people do not have the financial muscle not unless kujari buku fanya izindo gondogo but for those big tenders utakuta they are people who are using those companies to get those jobs and disadvantage in the real people where when we we actually come to that uh beat it very difficult to actually enforce and know that this is not a gashiri using this company but the the law is very clear you know there's a there's already a law in place but I always say in this country we have laws in place at times the challenges is enforcement and when now like now we have a the distribution of subsidized fertilizer to farmers of way of which young people and women are largely the ones who do the farming in the villages and there was an evocha system where guys were being registered online but how do you how do you tell that eventually when these people if they are the ones who will surely benefit you know you love some individuals who are taking advantage of that and and buying several of those guneas of fertilizers at the expense of the real young people or women who are doing that work but I would like to challenge young people even when you see an opportunity somewhere aggressively go for it lobby because these positions are not freely given or those businesses and when you do not have the financial muscle banks are actually supporting the moment you have an lpo banks will support you but like I'm telling you we have quite a number of challenges we have to deal with when it comes to enforcement of the law because that's where the gaps arise we already have the law that is protecting young people that surely this should be going to young people but I view the ones who are using those companies as we come to almost a close of this of this conversation I want to take it a bit personal now to to you as a person how does your day look like well my my my week is as a lot of nini my normal day begins at four I actually wake up at four I and do other things like I would do a bit of cleaning largely because then we are my young person so I do not have the luxury to be at comfort and say someone will do it for me I do most of my work then by the time it seeks I live for work the first thing I go is to the office at KICC and check if I have any other communications by eight I join committee work that goes all the way to 12 30 to 30 to 6 30 is bunga sessions that Senate at times I might contribute in sure I contribute earlier so that I live by around four and get back home to now concentrate on me and at that point I have time to even talk to my mother siblings then during weekends I on Friday I go to the village so on Saturdays and Sundays I attend churches on Fridays I attend fendros that's how my week looks like to ask you how you spend your free time but I think I have free I create free time because you have to strike a balance between parliament work between grass road work between you as an individual and also finding time to communicate to the people what you're doing that is through coming to search platforms going to radio going to the churches as we do in such engagements if you organize yourself that we were able to have a balance and at some point you just have time for you and reviewing what you've been doing the whole week how you've been engaging with people of course you might not be very perfect but I surely strive to make my life a bit balanced on those tangos are you looking forward to run for any electives in the future currently I'm keen on serving in my current assignment on the future I think those moments will dictate when we get there someone is asking me to ask you which English football team do you support United Fire I work with my head up anyway you know let me tell you once you choose a course we not lose you're there and this I will do I will also like to relate to maybe like a parting shot or advice to young people when you make networks or relate or support people support someone who knows you whether the person loses they at least they know you there's no point of supporting someone who does not recognize or someone will not even mention your name in a room of opportunities you would ask me how it doesn't have to be a politician but is that one person who thinks you make sense to whatever they are doing so direct your energies they are every other person needs positive energy to keep to keep them going what five things continue the house say that okay now the woman okay my phone then lip gloss and then some sweets are normally in my handbag and then what else I don't live with that kumpus because my hair is always the well done I think we can't even get to five those three finally on the road are you a cheetah or a tortoise I think I'm a tortoise you're like steam no no no I know it you see even from my intonation I'm generally I'm generally a calm person even when I differ with you okay I'll I'll not be shouting but surely I'll express my displeasure and people would wonder how then do you survive in the political arena that is also my strength thank you thank you so much for making time we really appreciate it we really appreciate what you're doing in the society for the women and for the youth and we're looking forward to having more discussions on more projects and if the other thing you'll be doing yes keeping in touch thank you very much that was Seneta a see okay you are a woman a phenomenal woman who is resilient hard working and a gogeta that is the strength of the woman