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]

References