Dr Wanjiru Kamau-Rutenberg is the only daughter of prominent Kenyan politician Martha Karua and, just like her mother, is also highly academically equipped.
She was born in 1978 in Nairobi, Kenya, and as a teenager Wanjiru moved from Kenya to Denver, Colorado, where she attended public school.
She stayed abroad and attained an undergraduate degree in politics from Whitman College, USA, in 2001.
She continued on to acquire a master’s and PhD in political science from the University of Minnesota.
Her PhD work focused on international relations, gender studies, and African history – areas of concern to typical strong women determined to bring change.
Wanjiru founded the famous Akili Dada in 2005, a leadership programme for girls and young women from under-resourced families.
Her aim from the programme is to build leadership, mentorship, and scholarship access for these girls with little financial resources.
Due to her heavy academic qualifications, she served as Assistant Professor of Politics at the University of San Francisco and lecturer in International Relations at Hekima College in Nairobi.
Further reports state that she even got high appointments, such as the Executive-In-Residence at Schmidt Futures, building a global initiative for Black women in senior leadership roles.
Currently, Wanjiru is also the founder and president of Black Women in Executive Leadership (B-WEL).
As of 2024, she was appointed the Senior Fellow at the Ford Foundation, which is aimed at scaling up Black women’s leadership globally.
Just like her mother, Wanjiru is also focused on gender equality, especially leadership opportunities for African women and girls.
By Nairobi