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BY FAITH NYAMAI
@faithnyamai
Known for her strong
personality, protective nature and taking fearless stands when it comes to the
dignity of her family, the former first lady Lucy Muthoni Kibaki is among the
first ladies in East Africa and in Kenya whose memories will not be easily
erased in the minds of many.
Her charming nature,
charitable works and the compassionate nature she showed to her family and the
community even in the glare of the media are some of the various activities she
is credited for and will always be remembered for.
Born in 1934 to
Reverend John Kagai and Mrs Rose Nyachomba at Mukurweini village in Nyeri
County, her father was a pastor at the Presbyterian church of East Africa and
the family is said to have grown under strict Christian values.
She was among 10
siblings among them four brothers who are now dead and five sisters who are now
alive.
According to Ms Mary
Mugai a sister to Mama Lucy, as they were growing up in the village, they only
knew her as simply Muthoni, before she latter become Mama Jimmy.
“Muthoni was real
friend to us as sisters, a compassionate mother and a true sister, we will
always remember you for that,” said Ms Mugai during the requiem mass on
Wednesday.
“She was humble, did it
her way and was always true to her words,” described her grandchildren
While growing up in the
village, she was known for her committed interest in working with the community
and her fellow youth. She attended the Alliance girl’s high school where she
left a record of her excellent performance. Her success in school made her to
become among the first African women in Kenya and in her village to tutor in
teacher training colleges.
She first taught at the
Kamweja teachers college in Nyeri and latter at Kambui teaching college in
Kiambu where she rose to be the principal.
While working as a
teacher, she met the former president Mwai Kibaki in 1960 with whom they become
friend which lead to their engagement. At that time Mr Kibaki had just quit his
teaching job at the Makerere University in Uganda.
After two years of
romance, they got married in a church wedding in 1962. Their first born
daughter Judy was born latter that same year. The following year in 1963,
she quit her teaching career to take care of their young family
They together had three
other children, Jimmy Kibaki, David Kagai and Tony Kibaki.
Lucy is known to have
lived a private life and never came in the lime light until 2002 when her
husband started campaigning for the position of the presidency. Even during the
time when Mr Kibaki was the MP for Othaya for many years, she was would support
her husband silently, avoiding publicity.
Much of hers
personality came out when she became the first lady of Kenya.
She was different, a
woman with strong personality, always spoke her mind freely and honestly. She
would not take anything that she did not agree with.
“She was a woman of
tremendous substance and she was always courageous and always stood out as
mother both in good times and in bad times, “described the deputy president
William Ruto.
Lucy was a strong
believer of family values. She would confront and fiercely defend the image of
how people looked at her and family. She knew how to support her husband
Mr Kibaki in politics and ensured that he reached his goals.
“They say behind every
successful Man,there is a strong woman, Lucy was a strong woman, she was a real
mother to this country and we will always appreciate and remember the roll she
placed in this country when she was the first lady,” President Uhuru Kenyatta
said during the requiem mass.
During the 2002
elections, Lucy would accompany his husband during political rallies telling
Kenyans how Mr Kibaki was the most suitable candidate to bring a change in
Kenya.
It was during a time
when Kenyans taking a deep breath after 24 years of dictatorship government of
the former president Mr Daniel Arap Moi. Kenyans had become tired of the Mr Moi
leadership and wanted a charge of gear.
Soon after Mr Kibaki
came into power, Lucy started making headlines as she could not take anything
that seemed like it will belittle or damage the picture and the dignity of her
family which she had spent many years building.
Because of her strong personality, she was
occasionally misunderstood for the actions she took whenever someone said any
negative things about her or her family. She is known to have launched verbal
and at times physical attacks to diplomats and journalist.
Lucy will be more
remembered for the various charitable works she was engaged in. She was among
the first ladies to lead in the fight against HIV/Aids. She even chaired the
Organization of the 40 African First Ladies against HIV/AIDS during her time.
She was also on the
fore front in the fight against the female Genital Mutilation.
In her Mukurweini
village where she was born and raised, she is known to have paid an unspecified amount of cash to Kenya Power for
the village to be connected to the electricity grind. She was always there for
her people and when she heard that villagers had fundraising towards certain projects
Lucy never failed to show up or sent her contributions.
In 2006, the First lady led dignitaries to the Muhito
PCEA church harambee where they contributed millions of shillings to its
expansion. She is said to have taken part in a Sh800m water project that will
ensure all residents get access to tap water at Mukurweini.
The expansion of the Mukurweini hospital is also among
the projects that Lucy took part.
At her Othaya village where she was married she
credited of engaging in various community based projects together with her
husband. She is known to have fully supported her husband.
Across Nyeri County, She is known of her motherly and
compassionate nature having sponsored many children through their education
from the less fortunate families. Some of these children are yet to complete
their studies.
The Mama Lucy Kibaki Hospital which was renamed from
Embakasi District Hospital to Mama Lucy Kibaki hospital and opened in March 1,
2013 has remained as an icon of the charitable works she was engaged in. The
Hospital has been providing accessible health services to residents.
Among other
involvements she engaged herself in is becoming the Patron of Kenya Girl Guides
Association of Kenya. She was dedicated and ensured that the association’s
functions ran smoothly during her tenure.
Lucy was found of bright colours according to her
family members. This, has prompted them to embrace the yellow as the theme
colour for the ribbons worn during the mourning period and later during her
burial ceremony at Othaya.
August 27, 2010 during the promulgation of the Kenyan
Constitution at Uhuru Park was her last public official function to attend.
After that she is known to have gone out of the public events. Even during the
handing over of president Kibaki’s tenure she did not attend the ceremony.
Lucy will be remembered
for her passion,
inspiration, strong personality and mentorship to the youth.
The former first lady
passed away on Tuesday last week while being treated at the Bupa Cromwell
Hospital in South West London. She had been receiving treatment at Nairobi
hospital after a short illness.
Over 10,000 among
them about 1000 digitaries attended the funeral mass that had been opened to
the public .Nearly, after every
minute women,men and children from across the Eight
subcounties of Nyeri county kept trooping to the ground to witness the
historical state burial.
Lucy was buried at
her home in Othaya at a private burial attended by 300 people among them family
members and a few dignitaries.
