CHIGGAI HARRIETTE OPENS UP ON GROWING UP & BECOMING A LEADING LAWYER IN KENYA BY BEATING ODDS.

Goodmorningkenya.com caught up with the immediate former Vice president of the Law Society of Kenya Harriette Chiggai at her Law firm, Nairobi offices.

Wakili is cool, calm, collected, inspiring, & composed with a magnetic
smile that reassures you that, everything is under control. As the conversation takes shape, you come to realize that, you are in the presence of a soul that has vision, cultured, nurtured and was given all, to give to the world & to make things happen.

EARLY LIFE & UPBRINGING.

HC as she is fondly known by colleagues in the legal circles due to her
passion for working with young advocates and Harry as her family knows her was born and raised up in Nakuru county. Born of religious and hardworking parents, a career teacher mum and a civil servant dad, values of hard work, discipline and dedication were imparted in her at an early age.

She remembers how her father used to tell her, if you have a challenge or
problem, don’t cry over it, you will be wasting your tears, face the challenge
and solve it.

“I had two memorable moments with the late president Moi that left a
lasting mark in my life. One was during Babanginda’s visit, we were brownie scouts ushering the guests outside state house Nakuru, I was picked from the crowd to give other kids orbits chewing gum by his Excellency the Late President MOI.

Another memorable moment was, while being the head of the girl guides I commanded the team that gave president Moi a guard of honor during the
official opening of the refurbished Aboretum park; it is from here that I
discovered my true calling in leadership. As if that is not enough, during my masters, fellow students picked me to be their class president. When I look back, I realize I was always being picked to take leadership positions” remembers Wakili Chiggai

JOINING LUGULU GIRLS.

Wakili Chiggai is a proud alumni of Lugulu girls high school. This school
nurtured her leadership skills. She narrated how a simple incident in school
plunged her into leadership.

“During our days, corporal punishment was the order of discipline. One day, my class was to be flogged for noise making. As usual, I had
not committed any wrong to warrant my flogging, I stood my ground and
respectfully told the teacher that I was not going to accept to be punished for a mistake I did not do.

Well to make a long story short, I escaped the punishment but later on, the teacher gave me a responsibility to be a games prefect, a role which entailed changing the perception girls had on sports and to turn around the fortunes of the school’s basketball team.

A role I passionately took and executed to a point of leading the school basketball team to the national championships” added Chiggai.

UNIVERSITY OF NAIROBI.

Upon completion of her secondary education, Chiggai proceeded to the UoN and started her journey to the bar as a learned fellow. “My journey to the bar started long ago while I was still in primary school. I used to stand up for my rights and I would not give in to being punished for a mistake I had not done. I wanted to always stand up for the oppressed and becoming a lawyer was naturally my number one career choice”

It was not easy but hardwork, discipline and dedication.

Studying law entails much reading, research work and extensive intake of
detailed subject matter. Luckily, my love for books and reading dates back to my primary school days where Daniel Steel, Hardy Boys, Sydney Sheldon books were close buddies. By God’s grace, support from parents and the choice to take hard work, I excelled in my studies as a lawyer”.

LOWEST MOMENT IN THE JOURNEY OF BECOMING A LAWYER.

“My mother was my greatest mentor. She taught me values of honesty,
hard work, discipline, commitment & dedication. She was my greatest cheer
leader .When I joined law school, she would brag to her staff mates at school that she has a lawyer in me. Whenever I visited her at school (for she was a teacher) she would parade me and tell her staff mates in advance that a lawyer is visiting.

It pains me that she never graced my admission to the bar. She passed on as
plans for my admission were underway. However, as a sign of honor, I always carry myself around with dedication to my call in fond memories of her” she remembers. “Parents should always encourage their kids, instill confidence and a sense of hope without which this generation will go into ruins” says Chiggai.

GIVING BACK TO SOCIETY.

All along, Wakili has been engaged in mentor-ship program which she believes will go a long way in shaping our future. “I was mentored by many people as a young person cascading the scales of Law. Those who offered me an opportunity are many, and I can’t thank them all, I can only return the favor by mentoring young person’s as they did to me”

PARTING SHOT

” I am Passionate about leadership & governance, youth & women
mentor ship programs. We must be very deliberate in creating opportunities for women and youth. We must mentor women and youth for them to become better and coveted leaders. We must hold each other’s hands and make the deliberate steps to fly together. We have no more excuses to make but to take lead . The African Woman must embrace self and wear the leadership crown with grace and finesse as that of a peacocks” she sums up.

Harriette Chiggai – Advocate of the High Court of Kenya, Managing Partner and CEO CALO
Law LLP; Founder Africa Leadership and Governance Centre. Founder Western
Jurist Forum(WJF), Vice Chair Western Professional Caucus. ~Discipline, hard
work and dedication= Success.