Thousands of residents from the larger Gusii region on Friday attended the homecoming ceremony of Minnesota House of Representatives member Hulda Momanyi, held at Nyamemiso, Nyamira County.

A celebratory mood colored the long-awaited homecoming at the event, hosted to celebrate her historic win, which was largely attended by thousands of residents from Nyamira and Kisii counties.

The visiting legislator challenged women to take a keener interest in leadership and rallied behind recent campaigns against gender-based violence.

The 39-year-old also weighed in on the urgency of intensified efforts to combat gender-based violence in the country, asking the government to develop a collaborative approach as the cases are on the rise.

Momanyi is the first Kenyan-born politician to win a state assembly seat in the United States.

She was elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives to represent her constituents in Minnesota's Legislative District 38A.