Margaret Rose Wambui Kenyatta, born in 1928, was the second child of Kenya’s founding father, President Jomo Kenyatta, and his first wife, Grace Wahu.
She was the sister of Peter Muigai Kenyatta and was widely regarded as her father’s favourite daughter.
A pioneering figure in Kenya’s political and diplomatic history, Margaret Kenyatta broke multiple barriers for women in leadership.
Her political journey began in local governance, where she served four terms as councillor for Dagoretti Ward in Nairobi.
In 1970, she made history by becoming the first and only woman to be elected Mayor of Nairobi, succeeding Isaac Lugonzo and following in the footsteps of Charles Rubia, the city’s first African mayor.
During her tenure as mayor, which lasted until 1976, Margaret Kenyatta championed urban development, social welfare, and women’s empowerment in the capital.
Her leadership style was marked by humility, discipline, and a deep commitment to public service.
After her mayoral term, she was appointed Kenya’s ambassador to the Nairobi-based United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), a position she held for a decade between 1976 and 1986.
This appointment made her the first woman in Kenya to serve as an ambassador, cementing her legacy as a trailblazer in diplomacy and governance.
Margaret Kenyatta’s educational journey reflected her pioneering spirit.
She attended Ruthimitu Primary School before joining Alliance Girls High School in 1947 as one of its pioneer students.
Margaret Kenyatta passed away in 2017.
