Millie Odhiambo urges women to join elective leadership, shape policymaking

Speaking during the 2nd Women Engineers Summit in Nakuru on July 22, National Assembly Minority Whip Millie Odhiambo said women professionals must claim spaces that have been traditionally dominated by men.

The Suba North MP argued that while women have made remarkable progress in engineering, they remain underrepresented in positions where critical decisions are made.

"Women engineers are qualified. But we are not getting to those spaces. Why are we not getting those spaces? Because since we were little, we have been trained to be good girls," she said.

She urged women to break free from societal expectations that discourage them from speaking up or competing for leadership positions.

"We thrive on praise as women. It's not bad. But sometimes that is what is actually used to put us down," she noted.

The legislator said many women hold themselves back because they fear criticism, yet leadership demands confidence and the willingness to challenge established norms.

"I am just claiming my space, which the men have been sitting on for too long. As women, love yourself, number one. Because if I love myself, I have no business seeking approval from anyone," said Odhiambo.

Odhiambo challenged women engineers to move beyond boardrooms and technical careers into elective politics and public leadership, arguing that professional expertise should be reflected in the country's decision-making structures.

"Women engineers must be at the decision-making table. So just like the men, women engineers must also be elected. So join us in Parliament," she said.

She offered to mentor women engineers interested in politics, encouraging them not to shy away from public leadership because of fear of criticism.

Outgoing Chairperson of the Institution of Engineers of Kenya (IEK) Women Engineers Committee, Eng. Jennifer Gache, acknowledged the progress women have made in breaking barriers in engineering but noted that leadership at the highest levels remains elusive.

"Historically, it was said that women feared engineering and there's been some bias about it. But when you look at the ladies who are around this room, we can confidently say that women have already broken the glass ceiling and are proving that women can make it in the engineering field," she said.

Gache observed that women engineers today serve across government agencies, state corporations, international organisations and the private sector.

She however, pointed out that very few occupy chief executive positions in major engineering institutions.

"When you think about all these big organisations like KenGen, KETRACO, KURA and KeNHA, you will not find a woman CEO there. So what is it?" she posed.

She said technical competence alone is not enough to advance into executive leadership, urging women engineers to deliberately develop communication, commercial and leadership skills.

The summit brought together women engineers from across Kenya to discuss leadership, mentorship, innovation and strategies for increasing female representation in engineering, governance and other decision-making spaces.