First Lady Rachel Ruto has praised women in Kirinyaga County for their contribution to household incomes, businesses and community development.
Speaking during a women’s empowerment meeting in Kirinyaga, Rachel said the county’s strength goes beyond its natural resources to the people working to improve their communities.
“Kirinyaga’s greatest strength lies not only in its natural resources but also in its people who continue to transform their communities through hard work and innovation,” she said.
She noted that women play an important role in keeping families and local businesses running, saying their efforts should be recognised and supported.
Rachel has continued to champion women’s economic empowerment, particularly through access to savings, credit and opportunities to grow businesses.
Her office says she has promoted grassroots financial inclusion through the Joyful Women Organization, which uses table banking to help women save collectively and access loans.
In February 2026, Rachel said the initiative had mobilised more than $30 million in savings through 17,000 table banking groups.
She said the model had helped women become entrepreneurs and community leaders while improving household incomes.
“Empowering women is not just a women’s issue. It is an economic, development, peace and stability issue. When women thrive, nations prosper,” Rachel said in a separate message marking International Women’s Day in March.
The First Lady’s visit to Kirinyaga comes as women across the country continue to play a major role in agriculture, small businesses and community-based enterprises.
Kirinyaga, whose economy is largely driven by agriculture, has also invested in programmes aimed at helping women and households increase their earnings through value addition and enterprise.
Rachel urged women to continue working together, embrace innovation and take advantage of available opportunities to improve their livelihoods.
She said stronger women-led businesses would ultimately translate into stronger families and more resilient communities.
