It is said that there is no force more powerful than a woman determined to rise. And this is what is reflected in the life of one Dr Caroline Mulinya, a woman who by all means has risen from a humble beginning to become a remarkable force not only in her community but in the country.

She holds a PhD in Geography (Climate Change Sciences) and is currently a Senior Lecturer of Geography (Climate Change Specialist) and Director of International Relations and Academic Linkages at Kaimosi Friends University.

However, she grew up in a village set-up in Lusui, Ikolomani Constituency.

“My parents were primary school teachers (now retired) and serious disciplinarians. We were raised with certain virtues, especially honesty, which I still uphold up to date. Growing up in the village was quite interesting and fun,” says Mulinya, a third born in a family of eight siblings.

“My early school life was equally fun. I have such fond memories. We used to go to school up to midday (Class One to Three) and guess what? We would arrive home at 4 pm after playing on the road for three hours unlike the current generation of children who have no time to play. Storytelling was part of our learning and we would do it in our mother tongue. We moulded various items from clay that we collected from the streams, unlike the modern child who uses plasticine,” says the mother of two children
Her parents inculcated the virtues of resilience, hard work and respect in her and her siblings. “My home area is a tea-growing zone, hence we picked tea and took it to the shopping centre without complaining. We used to weed the farm and harvest maize. We were taught manual work and up to now, I don’t mind doing manual work,” she says.

The vision carriers

According to Dr Mulinya, her growth process began from her association with her siblings at home whereby she emulated whatever they did. She offers: “I admired their school uniform and how they used to write. This prompted my parents to take me to school at a much younger age. During our time, there were no nurseries or daycares, so I went straight to Class One. My Class One teacher noticed that I was grasping concepts faster than anticipated and I easily coped with the rest of the students and moved on to the next classes. My turning point was in Class Five when Madam Jane, my mathematics teacher and class teacher made me believe that I can be the best simply because I topped the class throughout. She always praised me and ensured that I scored high grades. She highly contributed to the person I have become today.”

She went on to sit her Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) exams and passed. She joined Maryhill Girls High School, Thika. “Joining the national school was another experience altogether. I met many girls from all over the country and made many friends. The girls were sharp and smart and I had no choice, but to fit in and compete favourably. Geography was my favourite subject. My Form One to Form Four teacher, Mrs Mwangi, was so good at the subject, though she was strict. She had a lot of confidence and ensured that she gave us her best. She loved me and this made me fall in love with the subject. She would always ask me to explain the concept to my classmates, which I happily did,” she says.

After completing her fourth form in 1993, Dr Mulinya joined Maseno University to pursue a Bachelors of Arts in Education majorly in Geography and Music until 1999 when she graduated. She later taught at Kakamega High School before proceeding for her Masters of Art in Geography (Climatology) at the University of Nairobi in 2006. Thereafter, she became a Research Scientist at Kenya Industrial Research Development Institute (KIRDI).

“I worked as a consultant for Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) on rainwater harvesting in the Karamoja Region and was involved in research on indigenous knowledge and socio-economic issues regarding natural resource management. After four years, I joined Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology (MMUST) as an assistant teacher then later became a lecturer and was later promoted to the post of Senior Lecturer after attaining a PhD in Geography (Climate Change Sciences) in 2016 from Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology, a position I hold up to date at Kaimosi Friends University College (KAFUCO),” Dr Mulinya explains.

Work-life balance

According to the academician, the growth process through the ranks called for a lot of consistency, persistence and patience. “The beauty about promotions in the university is that they have well-structured criteria. If you are determined, you will move through the ranks easily,” she says.

Her inspiration to pursue a PhD was for self-actualisation (to reach the pinnacle of academia) and one day to be a professor.

“I also wanted to understand my field better – linking agriculture to climate and agroclimatology. I was the only student in my PhD class because if you wait for a quorum, you might never have it bearing in mind that we need the experts (there are certain circumstances where one student is taught) and especially for disciplines such as Climatology and Climate Change Sciences, which are feared by many people, hence the lack of quorum,” she says.

She took a record of three years to complete her PhD. “This can be attributed to my