Upon the passing of Margaret Wambui Kenyatta, the first daughter of founding president Jomo Kenyatta and a former mayor of Nairobi, the Kenyatta family was plunged into sadness.

President Uhuru Kenyatta’s half-sister Margaret passed away at the age of 89 in her Lavington residence.

After her brother Peter Muigai, Margaret was Jomo Kenyatta’s second child by his first wife Grace Wahu.

She went to Ruthimitu Primary School and was one of the first students at Alliance High School, which opened in 1947 as a mixed-gender institution.

Margaret held the position of Nairobi’s mayor from 1970 to 1976; she was the first woman to do so. She departed to take a position as Kenya’s Permanent Representative to the UN, a position she held for ten years, from 1976 to 1986.

The Kenyatta family member who engaged in politics the most during her father’s lifetime was Margaret. Her demeanor had a strong Jomo influence, and she is said to have inherited her father’s tenacity and charisma, which helped her win election as a councilwoman for Dagoreti for four consecutive terms.