Meet Kenya's 1st Female Marine Pilot Who Captured Uhuru's Attention

Elizabeth Wakesho Marami has defied all odds, to become Kenya's first marine pilot, in an industry dominated by her male counterparts.

Speaking during the commissioning of Bandari Maritime Academy by President Uhuru Kenyatta, Marami gave her life story.

She was born and bred in Mombasa and went to Mama Ngina Girls High School where she managed to score an A-minus in her KCSE exam.

Following her stellar performance, she was placed to study Law here in Kenya but opted to pursue Nautical Technology, after she got a scholarship to venture in the field in Egypt.

"I deferred the law degree because this (Nautical Technology) sounded more exciting and different to study," she narrated.

Marami went on to recall how she graduated with a First Class Honors in 2015 from the Arab Maritime Academy and came back to Kenya to venture into the field.

"I came back in 2015 and started training as a marine pilot and ended up becoming Kenya's first female maritime pilot," she recounted much to the joy of her listeners.

The charismatic pilot then shared the greatest moment in her entire career since she came back to Kenya.

"In November 2018, the Mediterranean Shipping Company accorded me an opportunity what I don't think anyone would have ever accorded me. They took me to France where I saw the construction of a ship from scratch, in my tenure in this career, I had never seen a ship being built in a shipyard," she joyfully revealed.

She further commented on how she was treated when she went to witness the thrilling adventure in France.

"They (Mediterranean Shipping Company) did not look at my gender, they did not look at my nationality, they did not look at my skin colour, they just picked me because I passed the interview and I had the papers," she added.

Marami also recounted how she sailed across several countries after the inauguration of the ship that she saw being built in France. They cruised from Southampton in Britain passing through various cities in Europe all the way to Italy.

She then faced the president and expressed her in-depth gratitude to the government's move to open the maritime academy in Mombasa.

"I cannot find words to describe how grateful we are that our prayers (to have the academy opened in Mombasa) have been heard," she remarked thankfully.

She shook hands with the Head of State who clapped heartily at her and imitated the actions of a ship captain steering a ship much to the laughter of the crowd.

Watch the video of Elizabeth Warimi here below.