Joy Lenawalbane has been appointed as the first female chief in Samburu County.
She emerged as the top candidate among the participating candidates and was chosen by an interview panel.
Speaking during the crowning ceremony, Joy Lenawalbane revealed that she will focus on tackling Female Genital Mutilation, early child-hood marriages and enhancing security in the region.
She also added that she hoped to further her studies in the next two years in order to vie for senior roles in the government.
‘’When I started, it was very difficult but now I have grown up and it has become easier. I will continue to study so that I can go to the next step of my career. I would like to be an Assistant County Commissioner (ACC) in the next two or in a few years,’’ said Joy Lenawalbane.
She urged women in the County to find work and to stop depending on their husbands to provide for them.
Community elders, all men, cleansed the path leading to the office the chief will now hold. They also conducted rituals and prayers to protect the new chief.
They dedicated the new office to members of the public and urged women to take up leadership roles.
Before her appointment, Joy had been serving as acting chief following the retirement of the county chief in 2018.
