A career in the military was for a long time viewed as a preserve for men. As such, women were more often than not forgotten when talking of the Kenya Defence Forces, despite them being as abled as their male counterparts.
After decades of women in the military trying to blend in the highly engaging male-dominated field, a number of them have managed to stand out.
In 2006, Major Norah Koech made history by becoming the first female pilot in the air force. In her domain, she is tasked with carrying out evacuation operations for soldiers and endangered people as well as ferrying personnel and relief to marginalised areas. Corporal Anne Mbaluka is a technician while Sergeant Linah Chebet is a flying technician, both at the Kenya Air Force.
Major Bernadette Kikech is an officer in charge of a helicopter squadron in the KDF. She has over 50 helicopter technicians under her command.
Bernadette's job entails making sure all aircraft are well serviced and maintained to ensure pilot safety. She is also tasked with assigning flight technicians on every aircraft.
In a field that most people associated with men, women have indeed surpassed all obstacles to hold major positions within the Kenya Defence Forces.
They have worked themselves into the Kenya Defence Force aviation department as fighter jet pilots, helicopter pilots, flight technicians and joint helicopter commanders serving Kenyans with the uttermost discretion and passion.
“The airwomen are currently deployed in all the squadrons of the air force alongside their male colleagues where they have matched their performance or done even better by excelling in fields that were previously dominated by men,” Major Joan Kwambai, an operations officer at Laikipia Air Base, wrote in the book, The Kenya Air Force Story: 1964-2014.
These women serve to inspire young ambitious women out there as well as keep their male counterparts in check. They have put in a lot of training, sheer devotion and commitment in ensuring they continue to deliver and serve this great nation. They have called upon fellow women to outperform themselves.
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