In one of her most prolific speeches, the longest-ruling Russian female leader Catherine the Great (1729-1796) said: “I beg you to take courage; the brave soul can mend even disaster.”
True to the core, this quote has lived to inspire women worldwide and despite the myriad challenges that come with leadership, women have refused to shy away.
Mary Kigotho, the current assistant chief in Lanet Location in Nakuru County, is a living testimony of how courage combined with determination is a summation of excellent success.
Kigotho, who describes herself as ‘resilient, courageous and a go-getter’, has served the area for six years.
“When I got the opportunity to serve my people, it was very hard for me. The community had not recognised the importance of a woman in a leadership position,” she said.
The mother of three girls went to Kairuthi Primary School in Nyeri, her home place, and later progressed to Othaya girls for her O-level education.
She then attended Temple College in Nairobi for a Secretarial course as she always wanted to 'work in an office setup'.
But nature had other plans for the dedicated civil servant and family woman.
She was to be a chief.
“I used to sell clothes and handbags after I failed to secure a secretariat job and when this opportunity knocked, I applied for it and went for the interviews. I was successful,” she said.
But it was not an easy task to take. She said she was not lectured on how to go about her new assignment. She had to learn the hard way.
"When I got the job, we were only taken through induction. To get my assignment right, I had to learn to be a strong woman and was not easy,” she added.
For Kigotho, it takes sacrifice and hard work to deliver on her assignment especially after her husband suffered a stroke leaving her with the burden to solely provide for the family.
In a classic example of an optimist, Kigotho has however learnt to count the blessings.
"This job has changed my life, my first born daughter has completed her college education and she is currently working. In addition, I have water and electricity in my house courtesy of this position," she said.
She is proud of her achievements especially the success of the Nyumba Kumi Initiative in her area.
Kigotho adds that when she got into office, many Lanet residents did not have birth documents for their children but has helped them acquire.
Her parting shot: "Any woman can be a leader. Our girls need to read and work extra hard to achieve their goals. The world has become very competitive, but anything is achievable. A woman can be what she wants, even to be the president of this country is something achievable."