Dennitah Ghati
{{short description|Kenyan politician}}
{{Use Kenyan English|date=January 2023}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2020}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Dennitah Ghati
| honorific-suffix = MP
| image =
| caption =
| office = Nominated Member of Parliament
| term_start = 8 August 2017
| term_end =
| predecessor =
| office2 = Woman Representative for Migori
| leader =
| term_start2 = 4 March 2013
| term_end2 = 8 August 2017
| majority2 = 132,852 (51.4%)
| birth_date = 1980
| birth_place =
| death_date =
| death_place =
| party = Orange Democratic Movement
| alma_mater =
| website =
| nationality = Kenyan
}}
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.{{cite web|url=http://www.parliament.go.ke/node/3232|title=Dennitah Ghati|publisher=Kenya Parliament|access-date=5 August 2020}}
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.{{cite web|url=https://ksnmedia.com/2020/05/i-was-on-top-of-the-world-then-disability-struck-mp-dennitah-ghatis-story/|title=I was on top of the world then disability struck: MP Dennitah Ghatis's story|publisher=KSN Media|access-date=6 August 2020|date=18 May 2020}}
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.
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.{{cite book |title=Data Report of 2017 Elections |url=https://www.iebc.or.ke/uploads/resources/siEABKREDq.pdf |publisher= Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission|page= }} 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.{{cite web|url=https://www.nation.co.ke/kenya/counties/migori/court-upholds-dennitah-ghati-s-election-901998|date=8 October 2013|title=Court upholds Dennitah Ghati’s election|publisher=Daily Nation|access-date=4 August 2020}}
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.{{cite web|url=https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/evewoman/article/2001254784/if-i-could-walk-again-former-migori-county-women-representative-dennitah-ghati-speaks-out-on-the-accident-that-left-her-crippled|title=If I could walk again: Former Migori County Women Representative Dennitah Ghati speaks out on the accident that left her crippled|publisher=Standard Media|access-date=6 August 2020}}
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.{{cite web|url=http://www.parliament.go.ke/index.php/the-national-assembly/mps|title=MPs|publisher=Kenya Parliament|access-date=7 August 2020}} 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.{{cite web |url=https://africacheck.org/factsheets/factsheet-kenyas-new-parliament-numbers/ |title= FACTSHEET: Kenya’s new parliament by numbers |last=Shiundu |first=Alphonce |publisher=Africa Check |date=31 August 2017 |access-date=10 September 2020}} Ghati is a representative of people with disabilities.
=Election results=
{{Election box begin no change|title=General election 2013: Migori{{cite book |title=Data Report of 2013 Elections |url=https://www.iebc.or.ke/docs/4TH%20MARCH%202013%20GENERAL%20ELECTION%20DATA.pdf |publisher= Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission|page= |date=30 March 2013|access-date=7 September 2020}}}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change|party=Orange Democratic Movement|candidate=Dennitah Ghati|votes=193324|percentage=74.7}}
{{Election box candidate no change|party=Peoples Democratic Party|candidate=Fatuma Zainab Mohammed|votes=60472|percentage=23.4}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change|party=The National Alliance|candidate=Elsheba Akinyi Ayoma|votes=4857|percentage=1.9}}
{{Election box majority no change
|votes = 132,852
|percentage = 51.4
}}
{{Election box turnout no change
|votes =
|percentage =
|change =
}}
{{Election box end}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ghati, Dennitah}}
Category:Members of the National Assembly (Kenya)
Category:21st-century Kenyan women politicians