Deputy Chief Justice Philomena Mwilu has opened up about her personal and professional life, on criticism levelled against her due to her rise to the top.
Justice Mwilu, who took oath of office on October 28, 2016, succeeding Justice Kalpana Rawal, says it has taken sheer determination and discipline to get to the top despite what she calls “completely unnecessary challenges”.
AUDIENCE
“I am a stammerer, I’m not eloquent. I don’t speak that well, but I can get content, and if my audience is patient, they will get to where I’m going.
“So I ensure I get content, because without content, where do I get my audience?” She told women who had gathered at the Sarova Whitesands Beach Resort in Mombasa during the Association of Women Accountants of Kenya (AWAK) conference last week.
THICK SKIN
Despite this, Justice Mwilu maintains that she has her strong points, saying many people tell her she is tough.
“I’ve learned to develop an exceedingly thick skin, because if you don’t do that, they will say no woman gets here unless they are propped up by a man in a bedroom, or in some other funny place.
“No, that didn’t happen to me, it will not happen to me. I will not need a man to sustain me in this job, I will need God,” she added.
Justice Mwilu, who was admitted as an advocate of the High Court in 1984, says she was shocked to hear some people say they had never heard of her when she was being interviewed for the current position.
“Somebody said, who is Mwilu? Why do you ask? I’m an advocate, I’ve been a judge, done this, done that.
“So what if you haven’t heard about me? What does the Constitution say about non-discrimination on status or any other reason?
“It means you only need to be qualified. If anyone wants to challenge me on my current day-to-day job, I’m ready to fight with that person,” she says.
CHALLENGES
Life has never been rosy for her though, as she had a challenging childhood after losing her father early in life, something she says caused her some imbalance.
“I didn’t do too well in Class Seven, and I’m glad I didn’t do too well because that’s when I woke up and decided to stop the joke that was my grades. From there I’ve never looked back and I’ve competed with the best ever since,” says the Deputy Chief Justice.
On her current job, she says women are judged unfairly and have to fight all the way to the top.
“If you are expecting to go up without insults you are in the wrong place. Without getting completely unnecessary challenges, you are in the wrong place,” she concluded, before saying she is continuously working to better herself.