In the early hours of Sunday, August 14, chaos rocked Bomas of Kenya after the vote tallying process was disrupted by differing party agents.
Nairobi Woman Representative, Esther Passaris could be seen allegedly dragging an individual amidst the drama. Reports alleged that the individual was in possession of a controversial gadget which raised rigging suspicions.
The device was eventually snatched and handed over to an unidentified woman. Following the chaotic scenes, Ogutu Okudo became the subject of a debate that trended for the better part of the day with her name dragged into the melee.
Kenyans.co.ke can neither independently verify if Okudo was the unidentified woman at the national tallying centre nor her whereabouts as the scuffle unfolded.
Profile
At only 30 years, Okudo has amassed more than a decade's worth of experience in the oil industry. According to her LinkedIn profile, she specializes in building public-private partnerships in Africa and legislation of energy policies.
"She holds a decade of experience in the energy sector, advising governments on oil and energy policy legislation, natural resource strategic development and decentralised energy solutions," part of her profile reads.
Okudo's career kicked off in May 2011, when she acted as a financial analyst for a local based consultancy firm. In February 2013, she relocated to the United Kingdom, working as a consultant for Augean PLC for a period of one year.
Okudo later worked in various positions as an advisor to the Siaya county government for three years and as a consultant for the Ministry of Petroleum and Mining.
She was also the lead researcher in the Somalia vs Kenya maritime delimitation case.
In 2012, she founded Women in Energy and Extractives Africa (WEX Africa) - a company that would receive global recognition years later. The social enterprise aims to raise awareness that different genders face in the oil, mining and alternative energy sectors.
Through this drive, she was highlighted by CNN as a woman on a mission seeking to change the narrative in a male-dominated industry.
Other corporations that Okudo currently serves include the London-based off-grid power utility, Bboxx as a Non-Executive Director and an Advisory Board Member at Africa’s leading energy association The African Energy Chamber as well as the Chief Executive Officer at Guru Energy.
Due to her efforts in the energy sector, she was recognised by Forbes Africa among the top 30 under 30 class of 2020.
