In Gakui village, Gatundu North, the dream of a university education often seems like an impossible distance, especially for those born into deep poverty. Yet, Josephat Kibui Gitau’s journey is a powerful testament to the transformative potential of grit, community support, and an unwavering desire to give back.
Kibui, a student at Makwa Secondary School, knew one thing for certain when he completed his KCSE in 2012: he was destined to be a teacher. What he didn’t know was how a boy with nothing would ever afford to set foot in a lecture hall.
The moment he finished high school, Kibui was confronted by a harsh economic reality. He had a fee balance he couldn’t clear and didn’t even pick up his result slip. “I’m a realist. I knew my life, and I was devastated because I came from a very poor background,” Kibui reflected.
With college out of the question, he became a village hustler. He split his time between running a butchery and riding a motorbike for his uncle just to survive. Later, he secured a small teaching position at a local academy, earning a meagre Ksh 4,500 a month, which he supplemented with further boda boda hustles.
Despite the struggle, the dream remained intact. “Back in high school, I loved teaching. I knew I’d become one,” he recalled in an interview with journalists.
The turning point came from the most unlikely of places: a Mother’s Union meeting.
Kibui’s mother met Rosemary Kirika, then a master’s student and now the Kiambu Deputy Governor. Moved by the young man’s plight, Kirika mobilised a team of six villagers from Gakui. They managed to raise an impressive Ksh 200,000 for Kibui’s education.
This money was strategically used: it paid for his first two years at Kenyatta University, and the remainder was invested in two calves for his mother to rear. The subsequent sale of the cattle funded another year of his fees.
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Life on campus remained tough, but Kirika continued to provide personal support. “I struggled during my studies. But Rosemary really came through for me and would give me Ksh 100 daily for my expenses,” Kibui shared. Against all odds, he graduated with a Bachelor of Education (Arts) in 2016.
The post-graduation reality was a rude awakening. “I had the mentality of finishing the course today and getting a job immediately, which was not real,” he admitted.
His first job in Nairobi was short-lived, but he leveraged a Ksh 75,000 loan to immediately enroll his younger sister into university, fulfilling a promise he had made while still a student.
When his contract was not renewed, he was forced back to the village, returning to his uncle’s motorbike. Community pressure, however, compelled him to try again. He secured a position at a private school, steadily working his way up until the government advertised teaching jobs. In a rare stroke of merit-based luck, he was posted to Kiarithaini High School in Nyeri.
His dream had finally come true.
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But success did not erase the memory of the hands that lifted him. “Had Kirika not helped me, I wouldn’t have helped the boy and my sister,” he reflected.
Back in Gakui, Kibui started a youth charity group. During one outreach, a boy narrated a story heartbreakingly similar to Kibui’s own. Deeply moved, Kibui rallied his friends and raised funds using the exact model that had once saved his future.
The boy went on to join JKUAT, relied on HELB loans, and successfully completed his studies.
“That is my success story. Today I’m an employed teacher who has also helped change lives,” Kibui proudly stated.
For Kiambu Deputy Governor Rosemary Kirika, Kibui’s triumph is deeply personal. “I touched his life in 2013… We mobilised a team of six people from Gakui and raised about Ksh 200,000,” she said, remembering the daily Ksh 100 she sent him. What touched her most was his unexpected reappearance after his graduation. “He kind of disappeared and only resurfaced last week to tell me his story, which is a success,” she revealed.
Today, Josephat Kibui is not just a qualified teacher; he is an educator, a community pillar, a mentor, and a quiet force of transformation. His journey from a struggling village hustler to a philanthropist in his own right illustrates the extraordinary power of perseverance and gratitude, proving that a single act of kindness can start an inspiring, enduring cycle of giving back.
By Felix Wanderi
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