Meet Phoebe Asiyo: One of Kenya’s most influential women

Published on November 1, 2007, 12:00 am

By Joe Ombuor

She started off as a teacher and switched careers to become Kenya’s first woman Senior Superintendent of Prisons before plunging into politics to represent Karachuonyo Constituency for three terms.

And in 1997, while she was arguably still at the top her political career, she quit the "dirty game" to do other things. She is now a goodwill ambassador to the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM).

Born in 1935, Phoebe Asiyo is one of the most influential women in Kenya. She joined Parliament through the General Election of 1979, the fifth edition, and was re-elected during the snap elections of 1983. Because of her consistent criticism of the Government, it became impossible for her to wriggle through the notoriously rigged mlolongo (queue) voting nominations of 1988. However, she reclaimed her seat in 1992.

"I retired from politics gloating over a few achievements. For example, I believe I helped to empower the people of Karachuonyo to take charge of their destiny through civic education programmes. And through fundraising and donations from friends overseas, I managed to send many young people abroad for further studies. Then a moment came when I felt that it was time to leave the seat to somebody while I detoured to something else," she says proudly.

Work with Carey Francis

Asiyo had her early education at Gendia Primary School, Karachuonyo, from where she proceeded to Kamagambo Girls’ High School. She trained as a P2 teacher at the then Embu Teacher Training College in 1953 and 1954.

She was now set to embark on her career. She taught briefly before she ventured into the male-dominated prisons service.

Says she: "I did my teaching practice at Kangaru School, Embu, where I taught the former State House Comptroller Matere Keriri and former Permanent Secretary Joseph Mathenge."

Later, she taught at Pumwani Secondary School, Nairobi, under the legendary Carey Francis. Among other students she taught here are veteran journalist Joe Kadhi and Simeon Dessandjo.

After two years handling the chalk, she left the classroom to study Community Development and Social Work on Human Development at the then Jeans School, now the Kenya Institute of Administration (KIA).

"There were better prospects for career advancement in this area than in teaching because Kenyans were preparing to take over from the British colonialists. Courses were short and fast. Scholarships were readily available and it was not long before I proceeded to Britain for further training in social work, returning at the dawn of Independence to join the prisons service in 1963."

After two years understudying a white officer, Asiyo took over in 1964 as a Senior Superintendent in charge of women’s prisons, a position she held until 1970, when she resigned to take up a job as Executive Officer of the Child Welfare Society.

Quit public service

Eight years later, she quit the job to venture into politics.

During her tenure, she recollects, she helped to introduce and implement separate prisons for women across the country.

"Over time, it dawned on the people of Karachuonyo that I was cut out for bigger challenges, especially in areas where only men called the shots. My performance at the prisons left no doubts in their minds that I was the best bet for them," she says.

Her desire to be a politician, she says, was ignited by her observation of sexism in the society. She felt it was her responsibility to correct a few of these imbalances.

"I grew up in a society where disparities between men and women are pronounced and I set my sights on doing something about it some day. My political ambitions were further fanned by the injustices and disparities Africans endured during the colonial times."

The late Tom Mboya and Indira Gandhi inspired her to take up the challenge.

"I admired their charisma and brilliance. I liked the way they fought to improve the lot of their people. I wanted to be like them," she says.

Asiyo says she was mocked, abused and dismissed as a political entity of no consequence when she went public with her intention to unseat Okiki Amayo, then seen as a political giant with few equals in Luoland.

"It sounded like a little joke that a woman would try to challenge Amayo, but, to his disbelief, I beat him with a margin of more than 2,000 votes. He could not believe that a little-known woman had humiliated him. He successfully petitioned the results and in the by-election that followed, I hammered him even more convincingly," she recalls.

She retained her seat when former President Moi called the first and only snap General Election in Kenyan history in 1983 in the midst of the crisis caused by Charles Mugane Njonjo’s fall as the nation’s premier powerbroker.

Asiyo was the only elected woman MP at that time, the others being Nominated MPs Grace Ogot and Rose Waruhiu.

She was a victim of rigging in the infamous 1988 mlolongo elections, but bounced back in 1992.

In her view, her greatest achievement in Parliament is the foundation of the Kenya Women’s Political Caucus. She moved the Motion in the House culminating in the formation of the caucus in 1997.

Gender sensitivity

As chairperson of the Caucus, Asiyo moved an Affirmative Action Motion seeking that one-third of all parliamentary seats be reserved for women. Unfortunately, she says, the men shot it down.

While advocating affirmative action to give a fillip to women’s political participation, Asiyo urges women to engage vigorously at political party level. "Register as members of political parties and seek positions at grassroots level. That is where the real power is," she advises women

Commenting on Kenya’s political landscape today, Asiyo singles out tribalism and gender insensitivity as diseases for which a cure must be found to consolidate a united nation.

As a goodwill ambassador for UNIFEM, Asiyo is involved in peace talks both locally and internationally. She has served in that capacity in the Palestinian/Israeli Women’s Commission for Sustainable Peace.

Back in Karachuonyo, Asiyo chairs the Board of Governors of Kondik Secondary School. She is married to Richard Asiyo and the couple has four grown children.