Over 300 women gather in Nairobi for second Suhba Series

Communications strategist and entrepreneur Farida Idris and former Cabinet Secretary Ambassador Amina Mohamed at the second edition of the Suhba Series: Becoming Her/HANDOUTMore than 300 women from Nairobi’s business, diplomatic, corporate, entrepreneurial and social circles gathered at a Nairobi hotel for the second edition of the Suhba Series: Becoming Her.

Suhba is a curated women’s experience founded by communications strategist and entrepreneur Farida Idris and produced by FID & Co.

Dressed in shades of plum and purple, the gathering brought together senior executives, entrepreneurs, diplomats, professionals, creatives and other women influencing conversations across Kenya.

Beyond the high tea and elegant setting, the event sought to create a space where women could move beyond professional titles and social status to exchange ideas, share experiences and build meaningful relationships.

Former Cabinet Secretary Ambassador Amina Mohamed delivered the keynote address, joined by Fawzia Ali-Kimanthi, Chief Consumer Business Officer at Safaricom, media personality Dr Julie Gichuru, President and CEO of the Africa Leadership and Dialogue Institute (ALADI), and Sumayya Hassan, CEO of Iktifaa Shari’ah-Compliant Investment House.

Harriette Chiggai, Presidential Advisor on Women’s Rights in the Executive Office of the President, attended as Chief Guest, while CHRP Quresha Abdullahi, Executive Director and Council Secretary of the Institute of Human Resource Management (IHRM), was the Special Guest.

The discussions focused on leadership, identity, reinvention, resilience, financial independence and purpose, while also exploring the personal journeys behind professional success.

The speakers emphasised that personal and professional growth is a continuous process requiring women to embrace change, take risks and create opportunities for others.

“Becoming is not about arriving at a perfect version of yourself. It is about having the courage to keep growing, to keep learning and to use every season of your journey to create possibility — not only for yourself, but for the women who will come after you,” Amina said.

Guests pose for a photo during the second edition of the Suhba Series: Becoming Her/HANDOUTChiggai challenged women to go beyond occupying leadership positions and ensure their presence translates into meaningful influence.

“A woman should not simply be invited into the room to make the room look different. She should be able to contribute to the conversation, influence the decision and have the confidence to say, ‘This is what I think. This is what I know. This is what I bring,’” she said.

Abdullahi urged women to view the success of others as part of their own leadership legacy.

“Let another woman’s progress be part of the evidence of your leadership,” she said.

The second edition attracted more than twice the number of women who attended the inaugural event, which brought together 160 participants.

The growth, organisers said, reflects an increasing appetite for spaces where women can connect beyond social media, professional titles and conventional networking.

For Idris, Suhba builds on nearly two decades of experience in media, communications, commercial partnerships and experiential events, including her time at Capital Group Limited and involvement in building Koroga Festival.

Through FID & Co., she is now developing original platforms and experiences guided by the agency’s philosophy of “Insight. Strategy. Impact.”

“Suhba is about creating a room where women don’t just listen to extraordinary stories – they recognise themselves in those stories, share their own, and leave having made connections that can extend far beyond the afternoon,” Idris said.