Lucy Kibaki.html



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Kenyan First Lady Lucy Kibaki

Lucy Muthoni Kibaki is the wife of Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki, making her the First Lady of Kenya. She was born in Mukurwe-ini in the 1940s to the Rev. John Kagai and Rose Nyachomba, in the Central Province's Mount Kenya. She was trained as a teacher, and rose up to the post of principal in a teacher-training college in Kiambu. She first met Mwai Kibaki in 1960, and they were married in 1962. Mwai and Lucy have one daughter, Judy Wanjiku, and three sons, Jimmy Kibaki, David Kagai, and Tony Githinji. She is a patron of the Kenya Girl Guides Association. ¹

The Nation Incident

She is known for her independent persona and her temper. In 2005 she received international media attention for storming into the offices of the Nation Media Group (publishers of The Daily Nation, a Kenyan newspaper) with six bodyguards, after taking issue with the paper's reporting of her disagreements with then outgoing World Bank country director Makhtar Diop of Senegal. ²

Post Nation Incident

In May 2006, she created more controversy by stating that young people in Kenya had "no business" using condoms. Lucy Kibaki called on students at a school prize-giving to abstain from sex in order to avoid infection with HIV. She chairs the Organisation of the 40 African First Ladies Against HIV/Aids ³.

Slapping Incident 2007

On December 12, 2007 she slapped a government official who confused her name with that of a woman who has been reported as being the president's second wife. Lucy Kibaki slapped the Government Principle Administrative Secretary after he referred to her as "Wambui" during a presidential awards ceremony, independent NTV reported. The Government Principle Administrative Secretary, whose name is Mr. Francis Musyimi, immediately stopped officiating the ceremony at the State House in Nairobi and was whisked away by security forces, NTV. Mr. Francis Musyimi also doubles as the Deputy Secretary to the Cabinet. reported.⁴⁵

Assault Incident 2008

In January 2008, a Kenyan Member of Parliament for Imenti Central Gitobu Imanyara accused the first lady Lucy Kibaki of assault and threatened to move to court to sue The First Lady over the alleged incident. The first lady was swift to deny the allegations, accusing Imanyara of blackmail after failing to secure the deputy Speaker's seat during the elections in Parliament.⁶.

Charities

Lucy is also known for her charitable works often supporting disadvantaged children and people with disabilities ³.

References