I'm sure you would have bet your money on a lose, if someone had confided in you that a 24-year-old graduate would trounce household names to win a coveted parliamentary seat.
But Bomet woman representative, Linet Chepkorir (Toto) is a testament to grit and devotion.
The reward of her toiling across the county on a Boda Boda asking for votes, while her competitors rode in high-end guzzlers was her meteoric rise to Parliament in the August 9 General Election.
"I came with one of the miracles of the country, a little young girl. She is 24 years old and is the woman rep of Bomet county who defeated mature, experienced women.
"She is Linet 'Toto' which translates to the young one," Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua introduced her at an event in Rwanda in October 2022.
The 24-year-old vying on an UDA ticket garnered 242,775 votes against her close rival Alice Milgo of Chama Cha Mashinani who got 43,180, while Beatrice Chepkemoi came in a distant third with 4,639 votes.
However, her tale of success was not without its trials as she worked menial jobs such as selling mitumba clothes, chips mwitu and also worked as a house-maid prior to the elections.
In a past interview, the MP revealed that she would earn Ksh200 a day from selling second-hand clothes - money she would save in hopes of her political career.
"I graduated in 2021 having pursued Procurement at Tharaka Nithi University College. I was employed in Bomet town, I used to sell mitumba clothes for a month, and from there I went to sell chips. I used to earn two hundred shillings per day.
“From there I was a maid for a month then I thought of vying for Women Rep," she revealed.
The young politician depended on donations from well-wishers to fund her campaigns.
According to the politician, she perceived herself as a leader all through her school life and still wanted to join politics after school.
"I was born a leader and I knew that after graduation I was going to vie for this position."
During her campaigns, she warmed Kenyans' hearts for her humility, traversing the county using a motorcycle or opting to walk to venues.
As part of her legislative agenda, Toto vowed to sponsor a bill in parliament to compel the government to supply free sanitary towels to girls across the country.
Here is the full list of Top 100 Kenyans 2022: Top 100 Kenyans 2022: The Full List
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