Martha Karambu Koome, an advocate currently serving as the Chief Justice of Kenya, and the first woman to occupy the post, is arguably the most powerful woman in the country.
Away from her role, the 62-year-old career judge is married to Koome Kiragu. She has three children son Kelvin Koome and daughters; Kagwira Koome and Nkirote Koome.
Koome’s husband, Kiragu, serves as the chairperson of Habitat for Humanity-Kenya.
He leads various programs that help communities develop proper housing, water use, sanitation, energy access, and land tenure
In this article, we outline the life of the CJ’s daughter Kwagwiria Koome.
According to her LinkedIn profile, Kwagwiria holds a Bachelor of Laws degree from Keele University and a Master of Arts in Development Studies from the University of East Anglia in Norwich, England.
She is an international development specialist with vast experience in different sectors such as health, agriculture, ICT, and the governance sector, which has earned her a senior role in USA’s multinational organization, The Rockefeller Foundation.
She has worked at the multi-billion organization for eight years. The foundation deals with promoting the well-being of humanity throughout the world through innovation, science, and technology to mitigate some of the global challenges.
Forbes reported that the foundation was founded in 1858 by the Rockefeller family, ranked 43rd on the list of America’s wealthiest families in 2020, with a net worth of $8.4 billion (KSh 1.015 trillion).
By recognizing and accelerating breakthrough solutions, ideas, and dialogues, the philanthropic organization endeavors to inspire and develop large-scale human influence that promotes the well-being of humanity. The Foundation has contributed more than $17 billion [Ksh2.6 trillion] to worldwide organizations and individuals.
At the us-based foundation, Kagwiria has harnessed her skills in different roles including strategy development, conducting policy analysis, and evaluations.
She also conducts qualitative surveys and institutional assessments, among others.
“I manage a high-impact grant portfolio in the food sector, providing me with extensive experience in the management of complex development projects, Excellent skills in stakeholder and relationship management and leading high-performing teams,” she wrote on her LinkedIn profile.
In an article published on the foundation’s website titled Let’s Collect and Preserve the Advice of Experts , Kwagiria reveals that her father inspires her.
Salary, allowances and benefits Martha Koome earns as Chief Justice
“He worked largely with smallholder farmers in central Kenya to provide agronomy support. When I began working on the YieldWise initiative, I went to him for counsel. While speaking to him and other experts, I realized that they had a wealth of information that remained with them instead of gathering together in a single place and reaching the community,” she stated.
Before joining the Rockefeller Foundation in September 2014, she worked as a senior consultant at Deloitte from January 2007 to November 2012. She then joined Dalberg Global Development Advisors and worked as a consultant until August 2014.