Fatuma Ibrahim Ali is returning to the center of Kenya’s parliamentary affairs after being approved for appointment as a member of the Parliamentary Service Commission (PSC), years after serving as the Wajir County Woman Representative and an East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) member.
Her career has taken her through human rights advocacy, public service, elective politics and regional parliamentary work.
On September 19, the Parliamentary Service Commission picked Fatuma Ibrahim Ali to replace former Kakamega Woman Representative Rachel Ameso as the female non-MP commissioner.
She emerged top among 12 shortlisted candidates after interviews conducted on September 10, scoring 80.48 percent. The PSC shortlisted 12 women from 75 applicants for the position
The Senate approved her nomination after vetting by the Standing Committee on Justice, Legal Affairs and Human Rights
Early Life and Education
Fatuma Ibrahim Ali attended Wajir Primary School and North Eastern Girls High School before pursuing a Diploma in Agriculture and Home Economics at Egerton College.
She also did postgraduate studies in Agricultural Extension at the University of Reading in the United Kingdom.
During her Senate vetting on September 28, Busia Senator Okiya Omtatah questioned Fatuma about her academic qualifications and whether her studies met the requirements for the PSC position.
Fatuma told the committee that she undertook postgraduate studies in the UK after being advised that the qualification would be treated as equivalent to a degree.
She said she later pursued a master’s qualification and that higher education authorities had confirmed the equivalence of her qualifications.
The Senate committee nevertheless concluded that Fatuma had met the educational requirements and recommended her approval.
Fatuma Ibrahim Ali Human Rights Career
Before entering elective politics, Fatuma built a career in human rights and public service.
She was appointed a commissioner of the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) in 2003.
KNCHR lists her among the commission’s founding commissioners and shows that she was later reappointed, serving until November 2012.
During her time at the commission, Fatuma worked on human rights issues, including those affecting internally displaced persons.
Fatuma also worked with UN Women, where she encountered challenges affecting women and girls.
Wajir Woman Representative
Fatuma entered elective politics in the 2013 General Election, winning the Wajir County Woman Representative seat on an ODM ticket.
She served in the 11th Parliament from March 2013 until July 2017. During her time in Parliament, she served on the Departmental Committee on Justice and Legal Affairs and made hundreds of contributions in the House.
Her political agenda included women’s empowerment, girl-child education, gender-based violence, and healthcare in Wajir.
During her tenure, she also became associated with efforts to improve access to medical services in the largely arid county.
Fatuma Ibrahim Ali organized medical camps, including one that brought 19 doctors and specialists to Wajir, where more than 600 patients received treatment.
Fatuma did not retain the Wajir Woman Representative seat in the 2017 election and she subsequently pursued the Tarbaj parliamentary seat but did not win it.
East African Legislative Assembly
Fatuma Ibrahim Ali was elected as one of Kenya’s representatives to the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA), where she served alongside other Kenyan legislators.
On the Senate debate on her PSC nomination, Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna pointed to her previous work in EALA and said he had worked with her in ODM.
During her appearance before senators, Fatuma Ibrahim Ali outlined priorities including staff welfare, fair recruitment, career development, transparency and equal treatment within the Parliamentary Service.
She also said she would work to improve public engagement with Parliament and support initiatives such as Senate Mashinani.
On discrimination, she told the committee that she would push for mechanisms to ensure employees were treated fairly and given equal opportunities.
During her Senate vetting, Fatuma declared a net worth of KSh302 million.
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