Women can also ace professionalism, check out a story of Kenyan pilot who made history in Rwanda

Captain Karauri’s display of brilliance in landing the aircraft during the storm, Eunice gave other pilots a pain in the neck, not only put Kenyan pilots on the international map but showed the world that female pilots can also be good at their profession.

 Captain Ruth Karauri gained international fame on 19th February after aviation enthusiast Jerry Dye shared a video of her majestically landing Kenya Airways plane at the Heathrow Airport in London, the United Kingdom.

On the other hand, in Rwanda, another female Kenyan pilot named Peninah Karanja is making headwinds in the aviation industry and has made history in the country. Being born and raised in Kenya, she also had a stellar performance in her academic life. Karanja is the first female captain of Rwanda’s national courier, Rwandan Air.

However, the captain opted to chart her own path. In 2004, she left the country for South Africa, where she signed up at the 43 Air School in Port Albert to pursue a course in piloting, got through school and acquired all licenses that enabled her to become a commercial pilot. She also gained training in aviation security, air charter, aircraft maintenance, airline and flight safety.

Consequently, she joined Rwandan Air in September 2012 as a pilot, served as first officer and finally she was promoted to captain on May 12, 2013, barely a year after she joined the airline, becoming the first woman in Rwanda to achieve such a feat due to diligence in her work, impressing both her colleagues and employers thus she was hailed as first female captain in Rwandan Air.

Karanja continued to inspire women in the aviation industry. Through her hands, Rwanda got its first female Captain, Esther Mbabazi, who trained with her as her First Officer. Peninnah’s work profile reveals that, as a captain on the Boeing 737ng and a captain on the Boeing fleet she has the final authority and responsibility for the operation and safety of the flight.

Article by Suzy Nyongesa