After 18 years as an academic, newly-elected Moiben MP Prof. Phylis Bartoo swapped lecture halls for politics. And in what was his first attempt in the game, she clinched the UDA party ticket to vie for Moiben MP seat during the August 9 general election.

Fresh from Egerton University where she had risen through the ranks to the position of Professor, the MP-elect battled it out with the former legislator Silas Tiren, who had rebelled against the outgoing Deputy President and President-elect William Ruto.

But after a stiff competition for the UDA party ticket, the path cleared for Prof. Bartoo in her quest to unseat Tiren, who opted to defend his seat as an independent candidate.

When the final results were announced after the August 9 general election, Prof. Bartoo had pulled off a remarkable victory as she defeated the incumbent by over 30,000 votes.

The margin of her victory should be enough to prove that she is one of the few female politicians who could dominate Kenyan politics for many years to come.

Moiben MP-elect Prof. Phylis Bartoo ( Photo Courtesy)

As the only female Professor in the next Parliament, Prof. Bartoo will no doubt put on a special hat of being the most educated female MP in Kenya today.

Prof. Bartoo is a holder of a PhD in Linguistics from the Witwatersrand University, South Africa, Masters degree in Linguistics and a Bachelor of Education Arts degree, all from Kenyatta University.

Before joining politics, she served as Dean, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Previously, she was chairperson, Department of Literature Language and Linguistics.

She was also an external examiner for the Kabarak University, Nakuru.