Orie Rogo Manduli first came to the public limelight while in high school after was crowned Miss Kenya at an early age of 16. In 1974 she became the very first black African woman in Kenya to compete in the world circuit Safari Rally. Moreover, she is the first woman to head the Kenya Non Governmental Organization council (NGO council). Orie Rogo Manduli, a strong willed Kenyan woman famously known for showcasing ‘original’ African attire with matching headgear that attracts attention wherever she goes.
In Manduli’s telling, the headgear, which looks like a worthwhile load is like tying a bow; but with a pinch of versatility. It does not even take her five minutes to have the rose petal semblance on her head. She seeks attention in her bright montage on – in her own words – her perfect African figure, bold makeup and accessory accompanied with a power husky voice. But what began as an experiment almost two decades ago is what has turned out to be a personal brand for Manduli. “I turned to the headgear as an act of rebellion,” says Manduli. It all started one day when she was invited to a wedding. Tired of seeing women looking ridiculous in the name of fashion in borrowed Western cultures, she wrapped a headscarf, just to prove a point; African culture is too rich to be confined in a box. “I am a proud and beautiful African woman and my headgear is a reflection of how an African woman should dress.”
Manduli’s imagination is as wild as her nature. Her style is always consistent, polished and with a touch of ‘nyadhi’ style. She borrows largely from the environment, from the colour contrast to how the flowers bud and bloom. On a good day when her mood is busting, her headgear will go as high as two meters and styled to match with her different clothes. Each day she spots a different design. “Repeating a headgear is unthinkable,” she says adding it would bore her stiff.
For Manduli, speaking her mind is second to nature. It is probably this very reason that has driven her to great heights, fighting battles – many women would shy away from – but still maintain her femininity. In the political circles, her name stands out for controversy sometimes being regarded a political activist or a rebel without a cause.
She has contested in sometimes grueling elections where she has been called names, beaten or her property destroyed. During the 2007 Kenya general elections, she was physically assaulted after a heated argument at her party’s function. In a separate incidence, she refused to step down as the chairperson of the NGO council despite numerous calls for her to resign. She barricaded herself in the council’s offices and ‘rightfully’ refused to resign.
Her first marriage, which she describes as rocky, ended in bitter divorce and completely changed her perception on marriage. “I was still very young. I received no financial assistance from him [ex-husband] and had to toil day and night to take care of my family.” According to Manduli, the proposed marriage bill that seeks to have rich women compensate poor husbands, after divorce or separation, is a big sham. “I will not let my daughters marry without prenuptial agreements,” she says adding that lazy men will take advantage of hardworking women. “Men cannot be trusted to take care of the children after a woman passed on due to their polygamous nature.” She got three daughters from her first marriage.
Armed with lessons well learnt from her first marriage, she later got married to Misheck Norman Manduli a descendant of the Lunda dynasty, one of Zambia’s royal families. Her second marriage seemed demanding, but she loved every moment. Can you picture Ms. Manduli being submissive, like a good wife is expected? To take this further, down on her knees, serving a steamy meal she cooked to a man? Well, this was her new life. “You don’t give anything to the older generation, especially the men while standing. I had to get down on my knees and it is considered rude to show your back to them,” she says. “You retract while facing them on your knees until you are out of their presence.” She got one son from her second marriage which, unfortunately, ended on a sad note. Her husband passed on in 2003 and Manduli has remained single ever since.
She tries to fill the void left her late husband through reading books – particularly biographies and autobiographies. To her, this is the best way to keep up to date, speak and write well. “That is how I get my brilliance,” she says. After a days’ long work, soft music pacifies her. “I like my music mellow and seductive, it must not dominate like is it case with the boom boom generation.” You can catch her swaying her hips to rhumba and salsa – in six inch stiletto heels. She uses dance as a way to tone her muscles.
She describes buying shoes with matching handbags and jewelry as her guilty pleasure. You would be right to liken her to Philippine First Lady Imelda Marcos, for the rows of shoes she owns. Every morning, she struggles to find a shoe that pleases her. She makes her own jewelry from dried fruits, ponds, bones beads. But it’s her signature headgear that completes her look; without, it is as good as to a bride without makeup on her wedding day.
Click the link below to watch her interview with citizen tv
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