The second edition of Farida Idris’s curated women’s platform doubled its attendance and put leadership, identity and sisterhood at the centre of the conversation.
More than 300 women from Nairobi’s business, diplomatic, corporate, entrepreneurial and social circles gathered at the Mövenpick Hotel & Residences Nairobi on Saturday for the second edition of the Suhba Series, themed Becoming Her. The series was founded by communications strategist and entrepreneur Farida Idris and produced by FID & Co.
Dressed in shades of plum and purple, the room brought together senior executives, entrepreneurs, diplomats, professionals and creatives. The idea behind it was to give women a space to move beyond job titles, exchange ideas and build relationships that last.
A Powerful Room, an Even More Powerful Conversation
H.E. Amb. Amina Mohamed, EGH, CAV, led the programme as Keynote Speaker. The panel included Dr. Julie Gichuru, President & CEO of the Africa Leadership and Dialogue Institute (ALADI); Fawzia Ali-Kimanthi, Chief Consumer Business Officer at Safaricom PLC; and Sumayya Hassan, CEO of Iktifaa Shari’ah-Compliant Investment House. Zainab Ismail moderated the Becoming Her conversation.
Hon. Harriette Chiggai, Presidential Advisor on Women’s Rights in the Executive Office of the President, attended as Chief Guest. CHRP Quresha Abdullahi, Executive Director & Council Secretary of the Institute of Human Resource Management (IHRM), was Special Guest.
The discussions covered leadership, identity, reinvention, resilience, financial independence, purpose and the personal journeys behind professional success. The message throughout was that becoming is not a destination but a continuous journey.
Amb. Mohamed captured that spirit in her keynote. “Becoming is not about arriving at a perfect version of yourself,” she said. “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.”
Hon. Chiggai spoke about what meaningful inclusion looks like. “A woman should not simply be invited into the room to make the room look different,” she said. “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.'”
CHRP Abdullahi urged the women present to see one another’s success as part of their own. “Let another woman’s progress be part of the evidence of your leadership,” she said.
From 160 Women to More Than 300
Suhba’s inaugural edition drew 160 women, and attendance has now roughly doubled. That points to a growing appetite for spaces where women can connect beyond social media, professional titles and traditional networking.
For Idris, Suhba grows out of a career of nearly two decades across media, communications, commercial partnerships and experiential events, including her years at Capital FM and her involvement in building Koroga Festival. Through FID & Co., she is now building original platforms and experiences around 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,” said Idris.
Where Substance Met Style
Suhba was designed to feel different from a conventional conference. Guests enjoyed a high-tea setting, immersive brand activations, music, beauty experiences, gifting, photography and curated networking. Vintage Concepts brought the Becoming Her aesthetic to life with rich purple tones, florals and elegant lounge settings.
Several guests also left with prizes. Shabana Aziz won return tickets to Mombasa courtesy of Skyward Airlines, while Azminah Perera won a two-night full-board getaway for two to one of Kuriftu Resorts Ethiopia’s destinations.
The result was an afternoon where substance, style and sisterhood met in equal measure.
Brands Backing the Suhba Vision
Fourteen partners supported the second edition, spanning financial services, telecommunications, aviation, energy, beauty, media, investment, logistics, hospitality and lifestyle. They included FID & Co., FID Public Relations, Standard Investment Bank through SIB Najah, Focus Container Freight, Skyward Airlines, Vivo Energy Kenya through Shell V-Power, Safaricom PLC, Takaful Insurance of Africa, ALLSO, Lancôme Paris, Cape Media through TV47, Radio47 and TV47 Digital, Vintage Concepts and Kuriftu Resorts Ethiopia, alongside the event’s wider supporting partner network.
The partnerships went beyond conventional sponsorship. Brands were woven into the experience through activations, gifting, beauty, travel and direct engagement with guests.
Beyond the High Tea
For Idris, the real measure of Suhba’s success begins after the room empties. Her vision is a community where women across generations and industries build genuine relationships, create business opportunities, mentor one another and open doors for the women coming behind them.
“A beautiful room gets people talking. A meaningful conversation gets them thinking,” she said. “But the real magic is what happens afterwards — the partnerships formed, the doors opened, and the women who leave inspired to pursue something bigger. That’s the legacy we’re building with Suhba.”
Media personality, MC, event host and content creator Muthoni Irungu steered the afternoon as Master of Ceremonies.
About Suhba Series
Suhba Series is a curated women’s platform founded by Farida Idris and produced by FID & Co. It brings together women across generations, industries, faiths and backgrounds for conversations on leadership, identity, personal growth and opportunity. Premium lifestyle, networking and brand experiences complement the programme.
