Being the sibling of someone who once served as President of Kenya, many would expect a life full of privileges.
However, that was not the case for Nderitu Kibaki, the elder brother of Kenya’s third President, Mwai Kibaki, who chose to live a humble life even as his younger brother held higher positions in the government.
Despite Mwai Kibaki’s long and successful career in government—serving as a minister, vice president, and eventually president—Nderitu maintained a simple lifestyle in his home village.
Why did he choose such a life while his brother, Mwai Kibaki, occupied the highest office in the land?
Times Digital Kenya takes a closer look at the life of Nderitu Kibaki, a man who lived a humble life despite being closely related to one of Kenya’s most powerful leaders.
Nderitu Kibaki’s Humble Life
Nderitu Kibaki, the late elder brother of former President Mwai Kibaki, spent the better part of his life as a farmer in their rural home village in Nyeri.
He embraced farming from an early age, long before his younger brother rose to become President of Kenya, and maintained the lifestyle even during Kibaki’s presidency.
In a 2013 interview with K24, as President Mwai Kibaki prepared to hand over power, Nderitu revealed that he had never asked his younger brother for financial assistance.
Despite not seeking help from the former president, Nderitu said he never lacked food or basic needs.
In the interview, Nderitu revealed that he never received a formal education. According to him, this lack of education limited his opportunities, even with the influence of his younger brother, Mwai Kibaki.
Nderitu explained that Kibaki’s chance to attend school was through luck. He recalled that missionaries had asked their father to send one child from the family to school. At the time, Mwai Kibaki was too young to herd goats like his elder siblings, making him the preferred candidate for the rare opportunity.
Nderitu Kibaki also revealed that whenever the late President Mwai Kibaki visited his Nyeri home, he would hold meetings with his siblings in a simple and humble manner that few would expect from a leader of his stature.
Sadly, Nderitu, who lived a modest and simple life throughout his years, passed away in 2015 after reportedly collapsing while heading to the bathroom at his home.
