On April 24, 2023, President William Ruto met with former President Uhuru Kenyatta's sister, Christina Pratt.
Ms Pratt, the chairman of the National Fund for the Disabled of Kenya's board of trustees, was hosted by the Head of State at State House in Nairobi.
During the photo shoot at State House following the meeting, the President and Ms Pratt were all smiles and in conversation.
The meeting takes place amid reports of tensions between the previous president and his replacement.
These divisions initially surfaced in 2018, when Mr Kenyatta went out to opposition leader Raila Odinga for a political "handshake."
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The Government will support people living with disabilities and the institutions that work to empower them. We will keep our promises to this community and ensure it is a full part of the Bottom Up Economic Transformation Agenda. pic.twitter.com/6zgKfwnhbD
— William Samoei Ruto, PhD (@WilliamsRuto) April 24, 2023
The schism between President Ruto, Mr Kenyatta's deputy for a decade, worsened when the retired president publicly backed Mr Odinga for the presidency ahead of the August 2022 elections.
Mr Odinga was barely defeated by President Ruto and has continually challenged the results.
Meanwhile, President Ruto and Mr Kenyatta's feud has deepened as the Head of State accused his old employer of supporting Azimio rallies and marches.
This, according to President Ruto, was a ploy by Mr Kenyatta to put pressure on him not to pay taxes.
Mr Kenyatta has also declared publicly that he acknowledges Mr Odinga as the leader of his party.
Ms Pratt is one of former President Kenyatta's three siblings. Anna Nyokabi Muhoho Kenyatta is another.
Ms Pratt is married to businessman Victor Pratt, who comes from the family of Liberia's longest-serving President William Tubman, after whom a boulevard in Nairobi CBD is named. Ms Pratt has served in many capacities in the public sector over the years.
Her work to the less fortunate and physically challenged began in 1975, when she was designated as the Director of the Department of Special Education by the Ministry of Education.
She became Africa's ambassador to the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 1977. Kristina received the Kenya Society for the Mentally Handicapped award two years later for her efforts on behalf of the physically handicapped in society.
In 1980, former US President Jimmy Carter praised her service to people with disabilities (PWD).
She graduated with honors from Kutztown State University in the United States and Leigh University in the United Kingdom.
Her dedication to aiding people with disabilities influenced Kenyatta University's decision to bestow an honorary doctorate on her.
