Former first lady Lucy Kibaki died this morning Tuesday, April 26 2016 at the age of 75 in London, where she was undergoing treatment.
She was born in Mukurwe-ini to the Rev. John Kagai and Rose Nyachomba, in the Mount Kenya. She was educated at Alliance Girls High School, then trained as a teacher, and rose up to the post of principal in a teacher-training college at Kiambu. She met Mwai Kibaki in 1960. After a two-year romance, the couple married in 1962. They have four children: Judy Wanjiku, Jimmy Kibaki, David Kagai, and Tony Githinji.
Kenyans described Mama Lucy Kibaki as an ‘iron lady‘ for the toughness with which she addressed issues.
Here are 13 things she did that proves her iron lady status.
1. The former first lady championed the fight against HIV/Aids. She chaired the Organization of the 40 African First Ladies Against HIV/Aids.
2. She was also known for supporting disadvantaged and disabled people. The former president officiated the opening of a hospital named ‘Mama Lucy Kibaki’.
3. She was the first public figure to openly assault a journalist after she slapped cameraman Clifford Derrick who was filming her storm into Nation Centre.
The attorney general dropped assault charges against her, saying prosecutors didn’t have time to investigate.
4. She is also said to have slapped Gitobu Imanyara at State House, Nairobi, during a briefing on parliamentary issues.
She was reportedly irked by the legislator’s insistence on filing charges against another MP who had verbally attacked her husband.
5. In 2007, Mama Lucy was filmed by Nation TV slapping an official during an independence day celebration at State House.
Security officials seized the video images and erased the slapping incident, before returning them.
6. Mama Lucy once slapped the master of ceremony during a Jamhuri Day dinner at State House, Nairobi, in 2007.
He had mistakenly introduced her as ‘Lucy Wambui’ instead of ‘Lucy Muthoni Kibaki’.
7. In 2005, Lucy stormed into the house of her neighbour, the World Bank’s then-country director Makhtar Diop, in a tracksuit at midnight and demanded he turn down the music at a private party to mark the end of his posting in Kenya.
She also went to a local police station in shorts to demand that Diop and his guests be arrested for disturbing the peace.
She later stormed Nation Media Group with her bodyguards and demanded that the reporter who had written about her confrontation with Diop be arrested.
8. During the 2009 Jamhuri Day celebrations at Nyayo Stadium in Nairobi, Lucy slipped and fell on the staircase but was assisted by her security detail.
9. She performed a lively and energetic jig at her last public function – the ushering in of the new constitution at Uhuru Park in August 2010.
10. Just months after her husband had been sworn in as the third President of Kenya, she reportedly shut down a bar inside State House where ministers and close allies of Mwai Kibaki used to enjoy a tipple with the new head of state.
11. Mama Lucy forced her husband, former President Mwai Kibaki, to call a press briefing and declare his monogamous status.
This was after reports that Kibaki had a second wife – Mary Wambui.
12. She was a victim of numerous wardrobe malfunctions during her 10-year tenure as First Lady.
Her biggest fashion blooper was when she wore a sky blue dinner dress at a White House dinner hosted President George W. Bush. The dress was widely criticised back home due to its cheap fabric and a design that did not flatter her body.
13. She allegedly slapped former State House comptroller Matere Keriri. Lucy later denied the claims but admitted she was never comfortable with his presence at State House.
The post 13 Reasons Why Kenyans Will Never Forget Lucy “Iron Lady” Kibaki appeared first on OMGVoice.Com.