By Linda Okwemba, Kakamega
She grew up in a village in Likuyani Constituency, Kakamega County and Today, her journalism journey is taking her thousands of kilometres away to Armenia after beating stiff competition to win a prestigious international fellowship.
For Irene Nasimiyu, 2026 has been a year of breaking barriers.What began as a personal decision to approach journalism differently has turned into an extraordinary run of opportunities, with the young journalist securing four major grants and fellowships, and now earning a place in an international programme in Armenia.
Nasimiyu, a village girl from Likuyani Sub-County, has steadily transformed her passion for journalism into a growing career that is taking her beyond the traditional confines of the profession.
A holder of a Master of Science in Communication from Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology (MMUST), Nasimiyu was also the best female student in the School of Arts and Social Sciences, an academic achievement that laid the foundation for her ambitions in journalism.But it is her determination to think differently that she credits for her remarkable progress this year.
Photo|Irene Nasimiyu
“The determination I have had since the year began was just to do things uniquely,” she said.
And the results have followed.In the space of one year, Nasimiyu has won the Zizi Afrique Education Grant, Africa Women’s Journalism Project (AWJP), ERAI Fellowship and Earth Journalism Network (EJN) Fellowship.Now, she is heading to Armenia for a fellowship centred on biodiversity, an area she considers not just a professional interest, but a deeply personal calling.
Nasimiyu says her connection with biodiversity dates back to her experiences growing up close to the forest and interacting with people involved in protecting the forest ecosystem.
“Having lived closely in the forest, interacting with those who conserve the forest ecosystem, the issue of biodiversity is so close and personal to me because it’s my niche. And I decided to run with it,” she said.
Her journey has also been shaped by interactions with experienced figures in the media industry, encounters that opened her eyes to the vast possibilities within journalism.
Nasimiyu says many journalists traditionally concentrate on political reporting, but she believes the media space is much bigger and offers opportunities for those willing to explore specialised areas.
For her, environmental and biodiversity journalism has become that space.Her story is therefore not simply about winning fellowships. It is about a young woman from rural Western Kenya identifying her strength, developing her craft and deliberately pursuing opportunities beyond the obvious.
Photo|Irene Nasimiyu on 17th September 2026
From the classrooms of MMUST to international journalism programmes, Nasimiyu is building a name around a niche she believes deserves greater attention.And with four major opportunities already secured in 2026, her journey from Likuyani village to the global stage is far from over.Armenia is the next stop.
For Irene Nasimiyu, however, the destination is much bigger, the world of journalism is only beginning to discover her.