First Lady of Kenya, Margaret Kenyatta and wife to the former Prime Minister of Kenya, Mrs. Ida Odinga seem to have been getting along over the past few months. The relationship between the two was first witnessed when Margaret Kenyatta invited Mrs. Odinga to a state banquet at State House.
However did you know that the two have a lot in common besides being the wives to some of Kenya’s most prominent leaders?
68-year old Ida Odinga, the wife to former Prime Minister Raila Odinga has quite a long teaching background having taught for over 20 years since she graduated from the University of Nairobi in 1974 with a Bachelors of Arts.
Mrs. Odinga taught at Kenya High school before she was hounded out of the job by the then KANU regime owing to her husband’s political activities.
Mama Ida Odinga founded the League of Kenya Women Voters in 1991, which promotes opportunities for women in the political arena. She has also championed a host of other causes focused around women and children’s and health in Kenya.
Mrs. Odinga has also advocated for the prevention of breast cancer and fistulas as well as the eradication of jiggers.
54-year old Margaret Kenyatta, the wife to President Uhuru Kenyatta’s wife also has a background in education. Although it’s not clear whether Margaret Kenyatta practised teaching, the First Lady has a Bachelor of Education degree from Kenyatta University.
Just like Ida, Margaret has made it her personal call to fight for the lives of Kenyan mothers and children through her Beyond Zero campaign. The campaign which the First Lady relaunched today is aimed at creating awareness and raising funds to tackle issues that affect maternal and childbirth issues as well as mother to child transmission of HIV.
The Beyond Zero campaign will now also focus on neglected health challenges including adolescent health, repair and integration of women living with obstetric fistula and social inclusion of children living with disability.
Both Ida and Margaret have also dealt with the loss of children, although for Ida it was much later in life when her son Fidel died. Nonetheless, the two know how painful it is to lose a child that you have carried for nine months.
The two women have in the recent passed been seen in public, an indication that the handshake between their husbands has spilled over to them.
What else do you think the two women have in common?