FLAIR High Level Forum & Expo - 30th May 2025

First Ladies (FLAIR) High-Level Forum and Expo 2025: Catalyzing Women’s Transformative Leadership

On Friday, 30th May 2025, the University of Nairobi’s Main Campus hosted the First Ladies (FLAIR) High-Level Forum and Expo, a landmark event centered on advancing women’s leadership and innovation across Africa. Under the theme “Impact and Innovation with Africa’s Visionary Women: Catalyzing Women’s Transformative Leadership for Accelerated Impact,” the forum brought together influential leaders to discuss strategies for empowering women in governance, STEM, and sustainable development.

H.E. Mrs. Rachael Ruto, the First Lady of the Republic of Kenya, graced the occasion as the Chief Guest, officially opening the event with a powerful address on “Partnerships for Women Empowerment.” 

The forum featured insightful keynote speeches from distinguished leaders:

• H.E. Dr. Ida Odinga, EGH, Pan-African visionary, spoke on “Women Leaders in Delivering Vision 2030, AU Agenda 2063 & SDGs,” highlighting the pivotal contributions of women in shaping Africa’s future.
• H.E. Dr. Joyce Kithure, the Second Lady of Kenya, delivered an inspiring presentation on “Empowering Women through STEM,” showcasing scalable and innovative case studies to bridge gender gaps in science and technology.

Prof. Margaret Hutchinson, Vice Chancellor of the University of Nairobi, delivered the welcome address and introduced the UoN FLAIR Initiative.