Dennitah Ghati Explained

Dennitah Ghati
Honorific-Suffix:MP
Office:Nominated Member of Parliament
Term Start:8 August 2017
Office2:Woman Representative for Migori
Term Start2:4 March 2013
Term End2:8 August 2017
Majority2:132,852 (51.4%)
Birth Date:1980
Party:Orange Democratic Movement
Nationality:Kenyan

Dennitah Ghati is a Kenyan politician who is a nominated member of the Kenya National Assembly, representing people with disabilities. She is a member of the Orange Democratic Movement.[1]

Early life

Dennitah Ghati was born in 1980 in a rural village in Migori and attended Kenya Institute of Mass Communication in Nairobi and Kenyatta University before working as a journalist at The East African Standard Newspaper.[2]

Ghati obtained a scholarship to Columbia University in the USA where she obtained a Master's degree and worked in New York for the American Jewish World Service. She subsequently worked for the League of Kenyan Women Voters and as a program manager for UNICEF Somalia.[1]

Political career

Ghati was elected to the National Assembly at the 2013 general election as the woman representative for Migori county with a majority of 51%, representing the Orange Democratic Movement.[3] Following the election the Peoples' Democratic Party candidate Fatuma Zainabu Mohammed challenged the election result in court, alleging intimidation, vote buying and bribery. The case was dismissed confirming Ghati's election.[4]

In 2014 she was involved in a road traffic accident in which she suffered a broken spine, leaving her permanently disabled. She now uses a wheelchair.[5]

In 2017 Ghati was nominated by the ODM to serve in one of the appointed seats in the national assembly as one of 12 members nominated by the political parties.[6] These 12 un-elected seats were introduced by the Constitution of Kenya in 2010 to represent the special interests of youth, persons with disabilities and workers.[7] Ghati is a representative of people with disabilities.[2]

Election results

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Dennitah Ghati. Kenya Parliament. 5 August 2020.
  2. Web site: I was on top of the world then disability struck: MP Dennitah Ghatis's story. KSN Media. 6 August 2020. 18 May 2020.
  3. Book: Data Report of 2017 Elections . Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission. .
  4. Web site: Court upholds Dennitah Ghati’s election. 8 October 2013. Daily Nation. 4 August 2020.
  5. Web site: If I could walk again: Former Migori County Women Representative Dennitah Ghati speaks out on the accident that left her crippled. Standard Media. 6 August 2020.
  6. Web site: MPs. Kenya Parliamant. 7 August 2020.
  7. Web site: FACTSHEET: Kenya’s new parliament by numbers . Shiundu . Alphonce . Africa Check . 31 August 2017 . 10 September 2020.