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Who will be the first Kenyan 'Ms. President'?

31.07.2019
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The winner of this EU-funded pioneering TV show seeking to empower women in politics will be announced tonight at the Grand Finale

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They say when you empower a woman you empower a whole nation. One million Kenyans will have the chance to verify this saying tonight, when the Grand Finale of the EU co-funded TV-show Ms. President will air and the country will elect its first "woman president" in history. There will be no ballots, but SMS messages to decide who of the five final contestants running to "presidency" will win after holding an arduous debate. 71 contestants and 26 episodes later, the reality show that has raised awareness on the leadership role that women can – and should play – in effective peacebuilding in Africa will come to an end.

Premiered last January on Kenyan Television Network (KTN Home), the TV show has become a social phenomenon, empowering women and girls to become key players in the political sphere and prevent the spread of violent extremism and radicalisation in the region. Ms. President has been produced by Media Focus on Africa and funded by the European Union.

Ms Josephine Kalinauckas, the Head of the EU's Foreign Policy Instruments Unit in Kenya, said: "We have received very positive feedback from the participants who noted that the show has been a life changing experience for them. It was also a pleasant surprise when the final five candidates met with President Uhuru Kenyatta and accompanied him to a public function where they were able to campaign for votes as a real presidential candidate would".

You can watch the show tonight from 8:00 p.m Kenyan time (7:00 p.m. in Brussels) via livestreaming from the KTN Home YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3snYQc06c-Y 

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