Roselinda Soipan Tuya, 42, is a Kenyan politician who has served as CS for Environment, Climate Change, and Forestry. She was dismissed on 11th July 2024, when President Ruto sacked the entire cabinet. However, she was later reassigned to the Defence docket as she awaits confirmation by the National Assembly.
Early Life and Education
Soipan attended Kenya High School for her A-levels and later joined the University of Nairobi for a Bachelor of Law. She then proceeded to the University of Washington for a Masters in Law.
Life In Politics
She entered politics in 2013 when she vied for a seat in her home county. Tuiya served as a Women’s Representative for Narok County for two terms.
Before becoming a CS in the Ministry of Environment and Forestry in 2022, Hon Saipan had an 18-year career as a lawyer focusing on community service. Her focus was on economic and social empowerment. Hon Tuya also served as the First Chairperson of Committees in the National Assembly’s Speaker’s Panel. She also served in the Devolution and Intergovernmental Relations Committee, and the Powers and Privileges and Health Committees.
Fun Facts
- She is the daughter of former Narok South MP, Samson Ole Tuiya.
- She is an exceptional legal professional and served as an Advocate of the High Court of Kenya for 18 years.
- Before she was appointed CS for Environment and Forestry, Soipan was a nominated Senator.
- She’s the first woman from the Maa community to be in a Kenyan cabinet.
Soipan Tuya’s husband and family
Tuya took her estranged husband to Nairobi Children’s Court seeking custody of their two children and a total of KSh 3.1M yearly for maintenance.
She claims her estranged husband treats their children and her domestic workers with cruelty. In her court papers, the CS claims they have been psychologically, emotionally, and verbally abused by him.
The two lived together from December 2013 until December 2020. The husband then moved out of the CS’s house to live with his other wife.
She has been the sole breadwinner of their two biological children. She claims to have been providing all of their basic needs including school fees, shelter, and clothing
Her passion for the girl child
She stands out in the economic empowerment of Affirmative Action groups within Narok County. She holds active mentorships, scholarships, and role modeling programs.
Her aim being to curb rampant retrogressive cultural practices like Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and early marriages that continue to hamper access to education.
Other organizations that Hon. Soipan has worked with include; Kituo Cha Sheria (Center for Legal Empowerment), Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs (UN Volunteer Specialist), and Manyoitto Pastrolist Intergrated Development Organisation (MPIDO).
Hassan Joho Net Worth
Appearing before the committee, Tuya stated that she is worth Ksh. 243M. This is a notable increase from the Ksh. 156M she reported in October 2022 when she was being vetted for the Environment CS position. She attributes her assets to her 3 homes in Nairobi, Narok, and in her village. She also owns motor vehicles, apartments, plots of land, and a dairy business.
