Age mates recall epic journey from Othaya to power
In the backyard of bubbly but constricted-in-space Othaya town is Gatuya-ini village, a little known farming village.
The village, however, simmers and shimmers with the glory that can only be matched by both name and status by Ichaweri in Gatundu and Sacho in Baringo.
Gatuya-ini in Gikuyu means a place of plenty matuya fruits, delicious but rare indigenous fruits (giant mulberry).
Here, baby Mwai was born in 1931. Seven decades later, he become the third President of the Republic of Kenya.
Presently, a few people in this village can tell you about the life and times of this icon without a mismatch of facts, as most of his age mates have died. The remaining few are advanced age.
But one of his long-time bosom village friends and a relative, Michael John (MJ) Kibaki, gives a remarkable account of the former president’s life.
MJ,86, who is a first cousin of Kibaki, describes the former President as a genius.
He says Kibaki’s love for books was so intense that he could always carry one to the grazing fields, lean on a tree and only change position, not to shepherd his father’s herd but after being done with a targeted reading.
“We used to accompany him while he was herding his father’s cows and sheep. But because he would always carry a book, his father instructed us to look after the animals to allow Kibaki time to read,” he recalls.
The same is recounted by Ednata Wangui, his schoolmate at Karima Intermediate Mission School located on the lowland side of Othaya sub-county.
Wangui, also in her late 80s, says that an Italian nun who taught them once remarked that Kibaki was so bright that he would have seamlessly taken her through math lessons.
In his lifetime, Kibaki has never been identified with “cheerful giving”.
MJ confirms that neither flattery nor a fair song would make Kibaki part with his dear dime.
He, however, says he was always ready to offer financial support for the pursuit of education or development projects.
“This is what he did to everyone including those in his extended family. I would only say he is generous to those who can understand his way of giving,” MJ says.
This is given more weight by Wangui who concurs that Kibaki never gave you money because you asked for it or you knew each other.
“We once approached him to help buy a public address system for our church and he demanded that we first demonstrate to him our effort towards this project. We went back, conducted a fundraiser and raised an amount that he later agreed to top up after he was convinced we were fully committed to it,” Wangui says.
Mukimo, roasted goat ribs, beer, posh cars and traditional Gikuyu songs were among Kibaki’s few luxuries, according to MJ.
