Interior Cabinet Secretary Joseph Nkaissery on Tuesday gave a touching tribute to his wife Hellen Nkaissery during a public address to women in politics.
In a rare moment, Nkaissery, who in 2002 made the transition into politics after serving as an Army General, credited his wife for his success in politics.
"My political career is due to my wife, she delivered 50% of the votes for me," the former General lauded.
Hellen is not prominent in the public light, however, she is celebrated for her efforts in women empowerment through dairy farming among the pastoralist communities.
She took an early retirement from teaching high school students in order to support the political ambitions of her husband.
Mrs Nkaissery has previously expressed that her husband's success as a first-time politician came as a surprise especially after a short campaign period.
"There was a lot of pressure from the community. At last, he gave in. He did not know where to start and how to conduct his campaigns but surprisingly, the Maasai people believed in him.
"In 2002 he vied for the Member of Parliament (MP) of Kajiado Central and captured the seat. He did a three-months campaign, which was quite unbelievable," she said during an interview with K24.
The two have been married for 39 years now and have four children together.
