By Amoto Ndiewo
Umulkheir Harun, the founder of Kesho Alliance, an NGO that seeks to improve education by promoting and advocating for access to quality education in arid remote regions, has been nominated by ODM to represent the youth in the national assembly.
The 26 year old alumnus of Alliance Girls High School couldn’t hide her joy at the opportunity and revealed that she will propose bills that will create opportunities for the youth and amplify and address the inequalities in education in arid North Eastern region.
Speaking to Education News, Umulkheir, commonly known as Umi, said getting to the level of being considered for nomination is no mean feat.
She thanked ODM for her nomination and revealed that her story is one of resilience, determination, discipline and hard work.
“These values were instilled in me from an early age by my parents,” said the second eldest daughter of Harun Mohamed, the former principal of Garissa High School.
Her decision to start her NGO was inspired by the story of Womankind Kenya Founder Sofia Abdinur who was the first female legislator from North Eastern after being nominated by ODM.
“The NGO seeks to improve education by promoting and advocating for access to quality education in arid remote regions where education still remains a far cry. We also promote youth and women empowerment as well as peace security through partnerships in marginalized areas. My work with the NGO tossed me into the world of leadership since it enables me to work with all and sundry,’’ she noted.
Umulkheir revealed that during her time at Alliance High School gave her a chance to interact with students across the country and widened her scope of dreaming and imagining a great future.
‘It exposed me to quality school debates which threw and nurtured me into school politics and leadership. When my teachers asked me what I’d like to do, I said politics without batting an eye lid,’’ she confidently said.
She recalled that with such school dreams in mind, she plunged herself into the world of leadership in 2019 when a local news agency announced a competition dubbed ‘Miss President.’
‘The series showcased intelligent articulate women from the 47 counties worth of presidential substance with the aim increasing the chances of women in Kenyan taking up leadership slots,’’ said Umi, who studied Computer Science at the University of Nairobi. She emerged position two.
