Margaret Kenyatta is one of the first women in Kenya not to be forgotten in a hurry. She is the wife of Uhuru Muigai Kenyatta, the fourth President of the Republic of Kenya.
As subtle as she is in carrying out her duties, she has great respect for the country. She has been described by many as the powerhouse of Uhuru Kenyatta, who was recently inaugurated as Kenyan President for the third consecutive year.
She is the 3rd Kenyan First Lady after Lucy Kibaki and Ngina Kenyatta and the 2nd First Lady of the Kenyatta family.
In this article you will learn more about the popular Kenyan first lady. We also bring to light their parents, children and other interesting facts that are relatively unknown.
Margaret Kenyatta Biography, Parents
Margaret Gakuo Kenyatta was born Margaret WanjiruGakuo on April 8, 1964. Her father, Dr. Ephantus Njuguna Gakuo, long worked in the development of Kenyan Railways and was the first African Managing Director of Kenya Railways, having taken over from GPG Mackay in 1964.
dr Gakuo taught in Germany for a year before returning to his home country – not only with his doctorate, but also with a German woman – Magdallena – the mother of Margaret and his brother, Maina Gakuo. Margaret lost her father in 2005.
Margaret Kenyatta is a graduate of Kianda School Formerly St. Andrews School (an elite school in Molo), Turi and Kenyatta University.
your family
Margaret is just a humble yet powerful personality whose skills and charisma are the secret ingredients to Uhuru’s successful campaigns. Margaret’s most striking trait is her down-to-earth and simple personality.
Uhuru and Margaret Kenyatta were high school friends who later became a couple in 1989. In a live chat on his official Facebook page, while answering questions from the Kenyans, Uhuru revealed that he had first met Margaret through her older brother, Maina Gakuo.
They later began a relationship and eventually married in 1991 at the Basilica of the Holy Family in Nairobi. Since 2013 they are the first family in Kenya.
Together they have three children – Jomo Uhuru Kenyatta, Jaba Uhuru Kenyatta and Ngina Uhuru Kenyatta. The Kenyattas are considered one of Africa’s power couples. They became grandparents the day before Uhuru’s inauguration.
children
Margaret’s first child with Uhuru, Jomo, is married to his longtime girlfriend Fiona Achola Ngobi, beautiful granddaughter of the late political giant Dr. William Odongo Omamo from Luo. Originally from Luo, Kikuyu and Uganda, she works as an accountant at a local bank.
He received his education at Hilton College and Michael House in the KwaZulu Natal Midlands of South Africa.
Uhuru’s second son, Jaba Muhoho, has his own clothing line in major cities in some African countries. Like his mother, he has a very special fashion sense that helped him win Showcase Designer of the Year 2014 in the Emerging Designer category during Nairobi Expo.
Margaret’s only daughter Ngina was named after her paternal grandmother, Mama Ngina Kenyatta. She has a degree in International Relations and Politics but is the Director of the Kenyatta Foundation.
She is already following her father’s footsteps, as she has often seen with him. Ngina also loves to party and hang out with her friends and cousins.
A supportive mother and wife of President UhuruIn Kenya, Margaret accompanied her husband to The Hague as he faced anti-humanity charges following the post-election violence of 2007/2008. This move earned her admiration from many supporters of Kenya and Uhuru around the world.
Fast Facts
- Margaret Kenyatta’s father-in-law, Jomo Kenyatta, was Kenya’s founding father and the first President of the Republic of Kenya. From 1964 to 1978 he was President of the East African country.
- On a humanitarian level, Margaret is passionate about reducing child mortality in Kenya. This earned her the 2014 UN Person of the Year.
- The gracious Kenyan First Lady will be remembered for the Beyond Zero Campaign, a nationwide health initiative but aimed primarily at grassroots mothers. It was launched on January 24 , 2014 to improve maternal and child health/outcomes in the country.
- Your Beyond Zero campaign has so far funded over 30 mobile clinics in Kenya.
- Margaret’s involvement with the Beyond Zero campaign is rooted in her own past pain of losing a baby some two decades ago. The first Kenyan family lost their second daughter immediately after birth.
- The Kenyan First Lady made history in 2014 when she became the first African First Lady to complete a 42-kilometer race.
- Margaret Kenyatta often makes a fashion statement that’s hard to ignore when she opts for simple yet outstanding outfits. Be it a formal, semi-formal or informal occasion, the beautiful First Lady is always classy. She has never suffered a wardrobe malfunction.