Hon. Prof. Julia Ojiambo is a leader of the Kenyan Women’s movement, and an ardent advocate for the rights of persons with disabilities. She was the first woman to be appointed as an Assistant Minister for Housing and Social Services and later, Education. She is the first Kenya women to be admitted to the Harvard University and the first African Woman to receive a PhD degree from University of Nairobi with a Joint Programme with McGill University
Prof. Ojiambo was the first African woman to be appointed Lecturer at the University of Nairobi and the first African woman to be appointed warden of University Women’s Hall of residence.
She was the first female MP from Western province to be elected into Parliament after winning the Funyula Constituency seat in the 1974 general elections. She was the second woman after Grace Onyango of Kisumu to be elected into Parliament
In 1975 she attended the first United Nations Conference on women held in Mexico. In 1980, she successfully negotiated for the establishment of the Kenya Institute of Special Education with the support of the Danish Government and in 1985 she led the Kenyan delegation in the UN conference on women held in Nairobi
As a Research Assistant in Mulago Hospital in Kampala she developed a rich protein biscuit that was used in the treatment of Kwashiokor in infantile malnutrition Unit and the whole of East Africa. She was awarded Deans Research Grant Award at the University of Nairobi for Research in Nutrition Status of pregnant and lactating mothers (1966-1988) and Food and Agriculture,(FAO) Ceres Gold Medal winner (for distinguished service in Rural programme and in advancement of women (1976). In February 2007, she was awarded the Kenya coalition for action in Nutrition (KCAN) Nutrition of the year
She was awarded the Order of the Burning Spear, 1st Class, Chief of the Burning Spear (CBS)