Power in Partnership: NGEC and Samburu Women’s Trust Forge Path for Indigenous Inclusion.

The National Gender and Equality Commission (NGEC) has joined forces with the Samburu Women’s Trust (SWT) to strengthen the participation of indigenous women and girls in Kenya’s national development agenda.

 In a high-level courtesy meeting held this week in Nairobi, NGEC Chairperson Hon. Rehema Jaldesa and Commissioner Caroline Lentupuru hosted SWT Executive Director Jane Meriwas and her team to discuss collaborative efforts aimed at promoting equality, capacity building and leadership among marginalized and indigenous women.

The engagement marked a significant step in forging a working partnership between the state body and grassroots actors who are actively championing human rights and social inclusion. The meeting’s focus was to explore long-term cooperation in the development, implementation, and monitoring of inclusive policies targeting minorities and marginalized groups.

“This collaboration is a reaffirmation of our constitutional duty to ensure that indigenous women are visible, heard, and included in every level of governance,” said Chairperson Jaldesa. The Commission and the Trust also agreed to establish joint mentorship programmes to prepare indigenous girls and young women for leadership roles and increased civic engagement.

Samburu Women’s Trust is an indigenous women-led organization that has operated at the grassroots level for over a decade, defending the rights of indigenous women and girls. As the secretariat of the Indigenous Women Council (IWC)—a network of over 80 women led groups and individual activists across Kenya—SWT has emerged as a leading voice in policy advocacy and leadership development for pastoralist and marginalized communities.

 Jane Meriwas, Executive Director of SWT, expressed optimism about the partnership. “This is not just about visibility it’s about real access to power, protection of rights, and participation in nation-building,” she stated. Both parties underscored the importance of linking community knowledge with constitutional institutions to build inclusive and sustainable development models.

The partnership between NGEC and Samburu Women’s Trust is a strategic alignment of law, policy, and community experience. It reflects the spirit of Article 10 of the Constitution—promoting inclusiveness, equity, and protection of the marginalized.

 As Kenya aims to build an equitable society, the inclusion of indigenous voices—especially those of women—remains not only a moral imperative but a constitutional one.