Ruweida Obo

Ruweida Mohamed Obo
Member of the Kenyan Parliament for Lamu East Constituency
Assumed office
2017
Preceded bySharif Ali Athman
ConstituencyLamu East
Personal details
Born1978 (age 47–48)
PartyJP
Azimio La Umoja
Alma materMoi University
University of Nairobi
OccupationPolitician
Pilot

Ruweida Mohamed Obo was born in 1978, in Pate Island, Lamu County. She is a Kenyan politician and the first woman elected as MP for Lamu East Constituency.[1]

Early life and education

Born in Pate Island, Lamu County, she attended Ndau Primary School in Lamu and later transferred to Ngomeni Primary School in Kilifi County. She attended Coast Girls' High School in Mombasa County for her O-levels education. She received her private pilot's licence from the Kenya School of Flying in October 2002. She worked as the line captain at Mombasa Air Safari for 13 years.[2]

In 2017, she obtained a BSc in Aviation Management from the University of Nairobi.[3] In 2022 she obtained a BBM from Moi University.[3]

Career

Aviation

From 2000 to 2005, Obo worked as a pilot for Kijipwa Aviation.[3] In 2006 she became a first officer for Mombasa Air Safari, later becoming a line captain in 2008.[3] In 2015, she founded Obo Aviation and has since served as its CEO.[3]

As a pilot, she has worked in transporting relief supplies to South Sudan.[2]

Politics

In 2013, Obo ran for Lamu county woman representative under the TNA party but she was unsuccessful, losing to Shakila Abdalah Mohamed.[4] In 2017, Obo ran again for Lamu county woman representative under the Jubilee Party, defeating the incumbent Shakila Abdalah Mohamed.[5] Following her election, she served as the vice chairperson of the Committee on Regional Integration at the National Assembly.[2]

In 2022, Obo ran in the election for Lamu East Constituency MP under the Jubilee Party. She became the first woman to be elected Member of Parliament for Lamu East Constituency, defeating the incumbent Sharif Athman Ali.[6]

References

  1. ^ Mghenyi, Charles. "Pilot elected Lamu's first female MP". The Star. Retrieved 2023-02-26.
  2. ^ a b c "Pilot elected Lamu's first female MP". The Star. Retrieved 2023-02-22.
  3. ^ a b c d e "Ruweida Mohamed Profile: Education, Career, Family, Networth". 2025-08-20. Retrieved 2026-03-06.
  4. ^ Bwana Mohamed Bwana v Silvano Buko Bonaya,Independent Electoral & Boundaries Commission & Shakila Abdalla Mohamed (Election Petition 7 of 2013) [2013] KEHC 2151 (KLR) (23 September 2013) (Judgment). 2013-09-23.
  5. ^ "Jubilee Party sweeps key seats in Lamu County elections". Daily Nation. 2020-06-29. Retrieved 2026-03-06.
  6. ^ GROUP, NTV KENYA-NATION MEDIA. "NTV Kenya: Making history! First female Lamu East MP elected". NTV Kenya. Retrieved 2023-02-22.