VIDEO: Mwai Kibaki’s Elder Brother Who Lived and Died Poor
Kenyans loved the retired President Mwai Kibaki for the light moments and the hilarious speeches he made during his tenure over and above his development record.
Kibaki was born in 1931 in Thunguri village, Othaya division of Kenya’s then Nyeri District, now Nyeri County and is the youngest son of Kibaki Gĩthĩnji and Teresia Wanjikũ.
He had three brothers Bernard Nderitu, Philip Muriithi Samuel Muriithi and one sister Esther Waitherero. However, he was the only one fortunate enough to be taken to school among his siblings.
But, despite the former president’s countless achievements, most of his siblings and former classmates were content with a humble life back in Nyeri county.
His brother, Nderitu Kibaki, lived his entire life as a subsistence farmer in their rural village.
In an interview with K24 TV in 2013 just as his brother was about to hand over power to President Uhuru Kenyatta Nderitu revealed that he never sought any financial help from his younger brother but quickly made it clear that he had never lacked food either.
Nderitu revealed that the lack of formal education made it impossible to seek employment even with the help of his powerful brother.
Additionally, he noted that Kibaki got the education by sheer luck as the missionaries asked his father to send just one child to school and he benefited from the offer as he was too young to herd the goats.
“We would herd the goats and he would come back from school and join us in herding before the darkness fell,” Nderitu narrated.
He went on to reveal that each time Kibaki traveled to their rural home, he always held a seating with his siblings at their homes in a rare show of humility for a leader of his capacity, a trait that his brother treasured.
“When he was young he was a one-of-a-kind child who was reserved and easily interacted with the other children,” he added.
Nderitu passed on at the age of 88 in 2015, after he collapsed as he headed to the bathroom in a suspected case of pneumonia.
Here’s the video of the late Nderitu’s last interview:
By EMMANUEL GITHUKU
Source-kenyans.co.ke
Mr Bernard Nderitu died on June 2nd 2015 at 11am on Madaraka Day at his home in Iriani, Othaya, Nyeri County.
According to his wife, Martha Njeri, the only person in the house at the time of his death, they had just taken breakfast when he excused himself to go to the bathroom but suddenly collapsed near the door.
