“The architectural design was meant to be beautiful; like that of an elegant woman sitting down,” Dr Jennifer Riria says.

She is referring to Riria hub, the magnificent building that sits at the centre of Nakuru city, commanding attention from all passers-by.

Dr Riria, who is also the CEO of Kenya Women Microfinance Trust (KWFT) and currently the President and CEO of Echo Network foundation is the face behind that building.

A section of Riria Hub in Nakuru city.

Photo credit: COURTESY

As the fourth child in a family of ten children, Dr Riria reveals that she was brought up in a humble background, where each day she would walk 4km to school bare footed and later back in the evening.
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“Despite the situation, I performed well in my primary level and as a result graduated to high school,” she narrates.

Dr Riria however notes that at the end of high school, she became pregnant, something that her father was upset with. However, she decided to use this as motivation.

A master’s degree and PHD on women, education and development later, Dr Riria delved into policies that contribute towards child survival among communities in central Kenya, realizing along the way that child survival is intrinsically connected to the welfare of the mother.

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“It came to my recognition that mothers not only needed education but also access to credit finance to make a livelihood,” she says.

It is there that she took a full step into the world of microfinance after a short stint at the United Nations.

Under her direction over the years, the KWFT emerged as a model microfinance institution, achieving its mission and positively impacting the lives of women.

“We have managed to reach more than 2.3 million women and their families, for the last 24 years, and since the inception we have disbursed Sh 1.3 billion worth of loans,” she states.

According to Dr Riria it was the KWFT board that decided to name the hub after her, in honour of her exemplary support of women over the years.

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Dr Riria concludes “Apart from Riria hub being a beautiful feature for the city, it is also a footmark benefitting the city economically from the variety of businesses that have set shop in the Hub.”

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