Ashura Michael is probably remembered as the woman who “proposed” to President Uhuru Kenyatta during the launch of Building Bridges Initiative in 2020. Ashura lost her ability to hear at the age of four years old.

But despite her disability, her love for politics was unbeatable and that is how she found herself eyeing the Nairobi Senatorial seat.

However, the challenges she faced during her campaigns could have easily made her drop her ambitions, but she persevered until when her party gave the ticket to someone else.

Her disability to hear or address the electorates has been the major obstacle in her political career. She had to hire a sign language interpreter whenever she went to campaign if none of her colleagues were available to accompany and offer their services for free.

“I had to be accompanied by a sign language interpreter at all times because it was difficult to get an interpreter in unplanned meetings. I could find myself unable to attend or participate in some meetings due to lack of an interpreter, “she says.

And due to her inability to directly communicate with the voters, Ashura mostly had to rely on social media to reach out to voters and also a team of volunteers who interpreted for her during campaigns.

“I used my social media platforms, but that was not enough. Politics is all about visibility because not all electorates are on social media,” she notes.

Ashura also received thousands of opinions about her decision to vie for the senatorial seat with majority of people viewing her dream as a waste of time due to her disability, and also since she is still young.

Being a woman, a youth and a PWD without financial muscles compared to her opponents, the discrimination she faced was twice as much that which women in the political arena face.

Despite her political party issuing her ticket to another candidate, Ashura says her hope to one day sit on an elective post are still alive.