Achievements of Jane Kiano, the women's rights champion
What you need to know:
- During her tenure at the helm of MYWO, Ms Kiano is credited with numerous achievements, among them the construction of The Maendeleo House in Nairobi.
- Besides being the chairperson of MYWO, Ms Kiano also served as the vice chairperson of National Council for Women, a committee member of Child Welfare Society of Kenya.
The late Jane Mumbi Kiano was born in Tumutumu, the present day Mathira Constituency, in Nyeri County 74 years ago.
She attended Tumutumu Primary School and later trained as a P3 teacher and taught for a few years after which she resigned to work at Pan African Hotel as a housekeeper.
It was while working at the hotel that she met her late husband, Dr Gikonyo Kiano. Mr Kiano was a powerful minister in Jomo Kenyatta’s administration and of the first Kenyans to get a PhD.
The couple tied the knot in 1966 at a wedding attended by many politicians from Central Kenya, including the late Kenneth Matiba and John Michuki at Murang’a County Club.
RIGHTS ADVOCACY
In 1971, Ms Kiano took over the leadership of Maendeleo ya Wanawake Organisation (MYWO), an outfit that changed the lives of many women across the country by championing for their economic, social and political rights.
During her tenure at the helm of MYWO, Ms Kiano is credited with numerous achievements, among them the construction of The Maendeleo House in Nairobi.
Besides being the chairperson of MYWO, Ms Kiano also served as the vice chairperson of National Council for Women, a committee member of Child Welfare Society of Kenya.
In 1972, she also served as the vice president of Association of Country Women of the World, representing East, West and Central Africa.
Ms Kiano was awarded the Elder of the Burning Spear Award in 1979 by the retired President Daniel Moi.
In 1984, the late Jane Kiano stepped down as chair of MYWO to pave way for new leadership. In recognition of her work, she was honoured with the Pan Africa Mercury Gold Award.
Ms Kiano is also one of the founder members of National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC).
Recently, she was recognised as a trailblazer by President Uhuru Kenyatta and feted with the First Class Chief of the Order of the Burning Spear Award.
She was honoured among other outstanding women, namely: former politicians Phoebe Asiyo and Grace Onyango, nominated Senator Beth Mugo and Ida Odinga, the wife of Orange Democratic Movement leader Raila.
She is also remembered for her outstanding work as the Nairobi City Commission deputy chairperson, Alliance Française president and at the Council of the Eminent Persons of Murang’a.
Ms Kiano is survived by two daughters, Joy and Wanja.
