Jemimah Gecaga (1920–1979) was the first woman to serve in the legislature of

Kenya ) , national_anthem = "Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"() , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Nairobi , coordinates = , largest_city = Nairobi , ...

and founder of woman's advocacy organization

Maendeleo Ya Wanawake Maendeleo Ya Wanawake Organisation (MYWO) is a women's NGO that deals with issues to do with women's rights and gender equity in Kenya. It was founded by Zipporah Kittony in 1952 and has approximately 600,000 groups contributing to a total membershi ...

Biography

Gecaga was born to a

Kikuyu Kikuyu or Gikuyu (Gĩkũyũ) mostly refers to an ethnic group in Kenya or its associated language. It may also refer to: * Kikuyu people, a majority ethnic group in Kenya *Kikuyu language, the language of Kikuyu people *Kikuyu, Kenya, a town in Cent ...

family in

Kenya ) , national_anthem = "Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"() , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Nairobi , coordinates = , largest_city = Nairobi , ...

. Her parents, Leah Magana and George Segeni Njoroge, were Christian converts who attended the Church of the Torch which had been founded by the famous

Church of Scotland The Church of Scotland ( sco, The Kirk o Scotland; gd, Eaglais na h-Alba) is the national church in Scotland. The Church of Scotland was principally shaped by John Knox, in the Scottish Reformation, Reformation of 1560, when it split from t ...

minister, John William Arthur. Her father worked as a cook at a Presbyterian mission in

Nairobi Nairobi ( ) is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The name is derived from the Maasai phrase ''Enkare Nairobi'', which translates to "place of cool waters", a reference to the Nairobi River which flows through the city. The city proper ha ...

and later opened a store. She has five brothers and one sister including Kenyan Cabinet Minister and Member of Parliament

Njoroge Mungai Magana Njoroge Mungai, M.D. EGH (January 7, 1926 – August 16, 2014) was a Kenyan Cabinet Minister, Member of Parliament, doctor, businessman, farmer, politician, nationalist and one of the founding fathers of the Republic of Kenya. Early l ...

(1926–2014) and Kenyan diplomat

Ngethe Njoroge Ng'ethe Njoroge (born November 10, 1928) is a Kenyan journalist and a former diplomat. Biography Njoroge was born to a Kikuyu family in Kenya. His parents, Leah Magana and George Segeni Njoroge, were pioneer Christians who attended the Church of ...

(formerly married to American activist

Mary Morello Mary Morello (born October 1, 1923) is an American activist who founded the anti-censorship group Parents for Rock and Rap in 1987. Early life Morello was born in 1923 in Marseilles, Illinois. In 1954, she earned a master's degree in African a ...

and father of American guitarist

Tom Morello Thomas Baptist Morello (born May 30, 1964) is an American guitarist, singer, songwriter, and political activist. He is best known for his tenure with the rock band Rage Against the Machine and then with Audioslave. Between 2016 and 2019, Morello ...

). Her cousin,

Jomo Kenyatta Jomo Kenyatta (22 August 1978) was a Kenyan anti-colonial activist and politician who governed Kenya as its Prime Minister from 1963 to 1964 and then as its first President from 1964 to his death in 1978. He was the country's first indigenous ...

, was the first elected president in Kenya. In 1952, she founded

, a women's

NGO A non-governmental organization (NGO) or non-governmental organisation (see spelling differences) is an organization that generally is formed independent from government. They are typically nonprofit entities, and many of them are active in h ...

that advocates for

women's rights Women's rights are the rights and entitlements claimed for women and girls worldwide. They formed the basis for the women's rights movement in the 19th century and the feminist movements during the 20th and 21st centuries. In some countries, ...

and

gender Gender is the range of characteristics pertaining to femininity and masculinity and differentiating between them. Depending on the context, this may include sex-based social structures (i.e. gender roles) and gender identity. Most cultures u ...

equity in

Kenya ) , national_anthem = "Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"() , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Nairobi , coordinates = , largest_city = Nairobi , ...

. In 1958, she was nominated to the Legislative Council in Kenya, the first woman to serve in the parliament of the country; she served until 1962. She later served as President of the

YWCA The Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA) is a nonprofit organization with a focus on empowerment, leadership, and rights of women, young women, and girls in more than 100 countries. The World office is currently based in Geneva, Swi ...

in Kenya, as a home economics lecturer at Jeanes School (The Kenya School of Government) and as a director at Skyline Advertising. In 1969, she was again nominated as a member of parliament; she served until 1974 when was replaced by her brother Dr.

Personal life

She was married to barrister and later director of East African Tobacco Company, Bethuel Mareka "BM" Gecaga; they had two children, Udi Gecaga (married to Jeni Wambui Gecaga, the daughter of

and sister of

Uhuru Kenyatta Uhuru Muigai Kenyatta (born 26 October 1961) is a Kenyan politician who served as the fourth president of Kenya from 2013 to 2022. Kenyatta was chosen by Daniel Arap Moi as his preferred successor, but Kenyatta was defeated by opposition le ...

) and Noni "Mary" Gecaga. Her granddaughter is

Nana Gecaga Nana Gecaga (born 1978), is a Kenyan businesswoman and corporate executive, who served as the CEO of the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC), from April 1st 2016 to December 29th 2022. KICC is a building owned by the government of ...

(daughter of Udi). Gecaga died in 1979 at the age of 59.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gecaga, Jemimah Kenyan diplomats 1920 births 1979 deaths Kenyatta family Kikuyu people 20th-century Kenyan businesswomen 20th-century Kenyan businesspeople 20th-century Kenyan politicians 20th-century Kenyan women politicians