Worldwide Guide to Women in Leadership
Republic of Kenya / Jamhuri ya Kenya (White women got suffrage 1919 and others 1956/63) Independent 1963 and a republic 1964

Also see Kenya Heads and Kenya Parliament

1974-79 Assistant Minister of Housing and Social Services Dr. Julia Ojiambo
1979-83 Assistant Minister of Education
Chairperson of the Labour Party of Kenya since 1993 and Vice-Presidential Candidate in 2007. (b. 1936-)

Circa 1991-93 Assistant Minister of Culture and Social Affairs Grace Ogot

1992-95 Assistant Minister of Public Works and Housing Winifred Nyiva Kitili Mwendwa
1995-98 Minister of  National Heritage, Culture and Social Affairs
Also known as Winnie, she was MP for KANU 1974-79 and 1992-98.

1996-97 Assistant Minister of Education Agnes Mutindi Ndetei

1998 Assistant Minister of Gender and Community Development Marere wa Mwachai
1998-2001 Assistant Minister of Home Affairs, National Heritage, Culture and Social Affairs
2001-02 Assistant Minister of Heritage and Sports

2003-07 Minister of Health Charity Kaluki Ngilu
2008-13 Minister of Water and Irrigation
2013- Secretary for Land, Housing and Urban development
MP 1992-97, Leader of the Parliamentary Group of the Social Democratic Party  1992-97, Leader of Women Political Alliance 2000-13 and also Leader of National Party of Kenya 2001-13 and from 2001 one of the leaders of the opposition Rainbow Coalition, which won the elections in 2002. Before the elections it was agreed that she would become Prime Minister when the constitution was changed, but the proposed change was turned down in a referendum in November 2005. Presidential Candidate in 1997. (b. 1952-)

2003-05 Minister of Water Resources Martha Wangari Karua
2005-09 Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs
2006-08 Deputy Leader of Government Business in Parliament
2008-09 Minister of Justice, National Cohesion and Constitutional Affairs
MP from 1992, National chairperson of the NARC-Kenya political party from 2008 and Presidential Candidate in 2012. (b . 1957-).

2003-04 Minister of State in the Office of the Vice-President Linah Jebii Kilimo
2004-05 Minister of State of Home Affairs
2005 Minister of State in the Office of the President in charge of Immigration

2003-04 Assistant Minister of Local Government Betty Njeri Tett
2004-07 Assistant Minister of Housing

2003-04 Assistant Minister of Tourism and Information Beth Wambui Mugo
2004-07 Assistant Minister of Basic Education
2008- Minister of Public Health and Sanitation
Interim Chairperson of Narc-Kenya in 2006.

2003-07 Assistant Minister of Environment, Natural Resources and Wildlife Prof. Wangari Maathai
Leading member of the opposition against former president Moi, an environmentalist activist and detained several times, Presidential Candidate in 1997, Leader of the The Mazingira Green Party of Kenya 2002-11, MP 2002-07 Awarded with the Nobel Peace Prize for her work for the environment and women's liberation in 2004. She lived (1940-2011).

2003-07 Assistant Minister of Equality, Sport, Culture and Social Services Alicen Jemaita Chelaite

2003-04 Permanent Secretary of Foreign Affairs Rebecca Nabutola
From 2004 Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Gender, Sports, Culture and Social Services

2004-05 Permanent Secretary of Foreign Affairs Esther Tole
Former Ambassador and from 2005 Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Regional Authorities.

2007 Assistant Minister of Labour and Human Resource Management Adelina Mwau
Lost her parliamentary seat in 2007

2007 Assistant Minister of Transport Cecily Mbarire
2008-13 Assistant Minister for Tourism

2008 Minister of State for Special Programmes of the Office of the President Naomi Namsi Shaban
2008-10 Minister of  Special Programmes
2010-13 Minister of Gender, Children and Social Development
Appointed by Kibaki whose re-election as President was critizised by foreign observers and was followed by serious unrest. Reappointed to the powersharing Grand-Coalition Government later in the year.

2008-10 Minister of Gender, Children and Social Development Esther Murugi Mathenge
2010-13 Minister of Special Programmes

2008-10 Minister of Youth and Sports Dr. Hellen Jepkemoi Sambili
2010-11 Minister for East African Community

2008-11 Minister of Higher Education, Science and Technology Dr. Sally Jepngetich Kosgey
High Commissioner to United Kingdom 1985-90, Permanent Secretary of Foreign Affairs 1991-97 Permanent Secretary of Finance 1997-98, Permanent Secretary in the Office of the President 1998-2001, Head of the Civil Service 2001-07 and from 2003 concurrently Cabinet Secretary. (b. 1949-).

2008 (†) Assistant Minster of Home Affairs Lorna Laboso
She was killed in a plane crash together with the Minister of Roads. Her sister, Laboso Joyce Cherono, was elected in a by-election as her successor, and became Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly in 2013.

2008-13 Assistant Minister for Nairobi Metropolitan Development Elizabeth Ongoro Masha

2008-13 Assistant minister for Cooperative Development Jebii Kilimo

2008-13 Assistant Minister for Housing Bishop Margaret Wanjiru

2008-13 Assistant Minister of Youth and Sports Wavinya Ndeti

2010-11 Assistant Minister of Mineral Resources Margaret Jepkoech Kamar
2011-13 Minister of Higher Education

2013- Secretary of Foreign Affairs Amina Mohamed Jibril
Ambassador to United Nations in Geneva 2000-06, Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Justice, National Cohesion and Constitutional Affairs 2008-11, Deputy Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme 2011-13 and considered as the favourite for the post of Chairperson of the Commission of the African Union in 2017.

2013- Secretary of Defence Raychelle Awour Omamo
Former Ambassador to France, Portugal, The Holy See, Serbia and UNESCO.

2013- Secretary of Devolution and Planning Ann Waiguru

2013- Secretary of Environment, Water and Natural Resources Judy Wakhungu

2013- Secretary of East African Affairs, Commerce and Tourism Phyllis Chepkosgey Kandie