Though publicly visible, very little is known of First Lady Margaret Kenyatta

Jomo and Ngina kenyatta, 1977. [File, Standard]

Seeing as Mama Ngina is the mother-in-law to the current first lady, Margaret may have borrowed a leaf from her, likely even had a few sit-downs over the matter.

However, Margaret changed the office in her own way. Over the 10 years she has been first lady, she has given well prepared speeches but rarely speaks off the cuff.

She once adamantly gestured her refusal to take the mic when the president playfully handed it to her, despite encouraging chants from the crowd egging her on to speak.

With the exception of a couple of short interviews she gave the press at the beginning of her Beyond Zero campaign, she does not do interviews with the press.

From the very beginning, Margaret stated that she would steer clear of politics as a first lady. "There are many issues especially in health with can take me through five years."

The public has had to guess what she's like through observation from a distance and from what people around her say about her.

The most authoritative source on the first lady is, of course, her husband. One thing we can guess from what he says and does when around her is that they have a loving and fun relationship, and if one thing is certain, Kenyans love a good love story, and Margaret has showed them one.

First Lady Margaret Kenyatta. [Boniface Okendo, Standard]

"Running is a very Kenyan thing," she said after one of her training sessions for the London marathon. She has participated in several marathons since, including her own Beyond Zero and First Lady Half Marathon.

She began running to raise money for what is probably her most well-known initiative, the Beyond Zero campaign, which is aimed at eliminating preventable maternal and child deaths in Kenya. "Running raises money, raises awareness, and then we get the money to buy the mobile clinics. But while we're doing that, we're getting Kenyans healthy," she said.

The first lady, who has a background in construction and architecture, also has numerous other achievements, including being named UN Kenya Person of the Year in 2014 for her Beyond Zero Campaign.

She was also awarded the prestigious Eastern Africa Lifetime Achievement Award in 2018 for her efforts in the maternal health campaign.

The president's own words during his re-election speech perhaps capture her essence best: "You have been a pillar of strength and your passion to uplift the well-being of every Kenyan inspires me, as it inspires millions of Kenyans."