The first lady of Kenya is the title held by the wife of the president of Kenya. While the office has been in existence since independence, it is not in the Constitution of Kenya. This has brought it under fire for having funding despite being unconstitutional.[1] President William Ruto pulled funding from the office after a public outcry. The country's present first lady is Rachel Ruto, wife of President William Ruto, who took office on 13 September 2022.
| First Lady of Kenya | |
|---|---|
 | |
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| Residence | State House |
| Inaugural holder | Ngina Kenyatta |
| Formation | 12 December 1964 |
| Website | Office of the First Lady of Kenya |
First ladies of Kenya
edit| No | Name | Term Began | Term Ended | President of Kenya |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ngina Kenyatta | 12 December 1964 | 22 August 1978 | Jomo Kenyatta |
| 2 | Lena Moi | 22 August 1978 | 30 December 2002 | Daniel arap Moi |
| 3 | Lucy Kibaki | 30 December 2002 | 9 April 2013 | Mwai Kibaki |
| 4 | Margaret Kenyatta | 9 April 2013 | 13 September 2022 | Uhuru Kenyatta |
| 5 | Rachel Ruto | 13 September 2022 | Incumbent | William Ruto |
Daniel arap Moi and his wife Lena Moi separated in 1974.[2] However, they remained married until her death on 22 July 2004.[2][3] Ngina reportedly retained her first lady status even after the death of her husband in 1978. Official papers and statements released by the Kenyan government identified Lena Moi as the country's "second first lady."[3]
In April 2016, Kenya lost its 3rd first lady Lucy Kibaki who died while undergoing treatment in London, United Kingdom.[4] She was the wife to the 3rd president of Kenya Mwai Kibaki.[4]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Khalwale wants First Lady, Second Lady offices removed, calls them 'private family issues'". Citizen Digital. 3 July 2024. Retrieved 16 July 2024.
- ^ a b Wachira, Patrick (24 July 2004). "Kenya: Grief As Moi's Wife Dies". The Standard (Kenya). AllAfrica.com. Retrieved 30 July 2012.
- ^ a b "President Kibaki attends Lena's burial". State House (Kenya). 31 July 2004. Archived from the original on 13 July 2013. Retrieved 30 July 2012.
- ^ a b Ngige, Francis. "Lucy's final moments were painful but she was cheerful". The Standard. Retrieved 18 February 2020.
External links
edit- Office of the First Lady of Kenya Archived 10 May 2019 at the Wayback Machine
- @FirstLadyKenya Twitter account (verified)
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