After losing out on the 2017 Member of County Assembly (MCA) nomination, Esther Okenyuri nearly missed a seat in the senate after last year’s election.

Okenyuri shared her life story on TV47’s Mfahamu Kiongozi show hosted by Elizabeth Mutuku every Thursday at 7:30 pm.

She was offered a job by the then deputy president William Ruto in 2018.

This was after losing a fierce battle to be nominated to the Kisii County Assembly after Uhuru’s re-election.

“I received a call one day when I was in a matatu. I did not recognize the number at first but I told the driver to shut down the music and park by the roadside,” she narrated.

Days later, she was offered a job as a researcher in the Strategy and Delivery unit.

My Role In Ruto’s Presidential Campaign- Sen Okenyuri

In the years leading to the 2022 general elections, Okenyuri launched a movement dubbed “Women For Ruto” to popularise Ruto’s agenda in the larger Kisii region.

Additionally, having a background in Information Science, Senator Okenyuri played a part in formulating proper communication tools for the presidential campaigns.

This earned her a chance to join the government when Ruto took over power in 2022.

“After the elections, 16 women were selected as potential nominees in the National Assembly and Senate. I was number nine on the list,” Okenyuri recounted.

Senate Nomination Escapes Her

However, luck was not on her side yet again. According to the UDA Party regulations, eight women would be picked, alongside one youth and another a representative of persons living with disability.

This meant that Okenyuri did not make it into government, but she did not lose hope.

“I kept telling myself that God will favor me even if this is politics,” she stated.

Two months later, Soipan Tuya, who had been nominated to the senate, was appointed as the Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change, and Forestry.

“That is how I got the senate nomination and was sworn into office on November 8, 2022,” Senator Okenyuri added.