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Uhuru’s sister Kristina Pratt misses out on Jubilee nominations

National Fund for Disabled of Kenya Board Chairperson Kristina Kenyatta Pratt. PHOTO | EVANS HABIL

President Uhuru Kenyatta’s sister Kristina Pratt who was on the Jubilee Party list has missed out on a nomination in the Senate as the party secured just one slot.

In a gazette notice by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) in July, Kristina, 70, was listed alongside Nairobi Governor Ann Kananu and Murang’a Woman Representative Sabina Chege.

Ms Chege went through as the party secured just one slot in the National Assembly.

There are 12 nomination slots in the National Assembly and 20 in the Senate.

In the Senate, there are 16 nomination slots directly set aside for women. Two slots are set aside for youth representatives (male and female) and two others dedicated to persons with disability (male and female).

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The nomination slots are shared out to political parties based on their performance in the National Assembly and Senate races.

That is, the more seats a party in the race for National Assembly seats, the more it receives in nominations slots.

Similarly, the more seats a party receives in the Senate race (out of 47 seats), the more it receives in the nominations.

The nominations list, also known as the party list, is usually submitted by political parties and published before the General Election.

Kristina is a fierce advocate for the physically challenged in society, and currently serves as the chairperson of the National Fund for the Disabled of Kenya.

Her service to the less fortunate and physically challenged began in 1975 when she joined the Ministry of Education when she was appointed as the founding Director of the Department of Special Education.

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At the ministry, her main legacy was the establishment of the Kenya Insitute of Special Education (KISE) in a bid to train special needs tutors.

In 1977, she was appointed Africa’s ambassador to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Two years later, Kristina was awarded the Kenya Society for the Mentally Handicapped award for her efforts toward the physically challenged in society.

Her contribution to Persons with Disability (PWD) was also lauded by former US president Jimmy Carter in 1980.

She holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Kutztown State University, USA and a Masters in Educational Psychology from Leigh University, USA.

Her commitment to serving PWDs contributed to the decision by Kenyatta University for the conferment of an honorary doctorate.

She is a mother of four including Kavi Pratt – a local musician who was among the few Kenyan artists to perform for President Brack Obama during his 2015 visit to Kenya.

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