Wambui Nyutu, 30, has been nominated the Star's Person of the Year by readers.
Growing up with no television and no electricity, she always knew that she would one day make a change in people’s lives.
Nyutu didn’t think that at a young age she would have made huge strides towards achieving that dream.
“We would only listen to the radio for news and wait till weekends when my father who worked away from home brought newspapers,” she recounted.
Nyutu is the current vice chairperson at the National Cohesion and Integration Commission, and the youngest-ever commissioner in Kenya.
She also runs a charity organisation, the Wambui Nyutu Foundation based in Murang’a county where she was born and brought up.
She has beauty and brains and says the reason she advanced so fast is because she put God first, then self-discipline.
The young commissioner admits to having lost many jealous 'friends' who felt entitled to her success, or who expected privileges from her based on their friendship.
Nyutu said she is single "but when it is time, it will happen". She apparently doesn't spend her time worrying about finding a man.
She refers to her family as ‘normal’. Her father is a businessman dealing in real estate while her mother is a teacher.
“I was born in Maragua, Murang’a. We are four girls, and I am the second born. Growing up, my parents were very strict and from a young age, they shaped my ambitions and personality,” she said.
She said her parents invested in quality education for all of them and build a very solid support system amongst themselves.
The neighbours were my friends and they helped me understand what it means to lack. Deep down, I always wished I were able to help
Though they did not have much, Nyutu said she always got the basics, which was not the case for some of their neighbours.
One sure thing is that success didn’t find her by luck.
Though she admits to having been supported by her family every step of the way, she says it is her ambitions that took her where she is.
“The neighbours were my friends and they helped me understand what it means to lack. Deep down, I always wished I were able to help,” she said.
Nyutu said she only ever wanted to be a lawyer and would sometimes refer to herself as lawyer Wambui as early as in Standard 5.
She left Murang’a for Nairobi when joined the University of Nairobi to study law.
Having been a leader all through her earlier education, Nyutu joined campus politics.
“My sister came all the way to be my returning officer. My father sent me cash for the campaigns while my mother called daily to ask how I was managing. My family’s support and motivation steered me to join the national political arena,” she explained.
I had a bigger dream and when I was applying for the NCIC position, I made a promise to God that if I got the appointment, I would give back to society. This Foundation is thus a partial fulfilment of my promise to God
It was during an event with other women university leaders that Nyutu shared the idea of ‘Warembo na Uhuruto’, an outfit that would later gain traction across the country following support of President Uhuru Kenyatta.
Before the foundation, Nyutu said she was supporting some students through their education, young people with their enterprises and some less privileged families.
“The first beneficiary is a very brilliant girl now in Form 4 at Ndumberi Girls. She was in an orphanage after both her parents died. Her grandmother could not adequately take care of her,” Nyuto recalled.
She added, “At times, I would also get overwhelmed, and that really broke my heart. I had a bigger dream, and when I was applying for the position at NCIC, I made a promise to God, that if I got the appointment, I would give back to society. This Foundation is thus a partial fulfilment of my promise to God.”
Upon her appointment, Nyutu said she shared the foundation idea with a few like-minded friends.
"We launched it in a colourful ceremony attended by senior government officials, businessmen, family and friends at Gakoigo Stadium, Maragua on February 28, 2020," she said.
The foundation focuses on education, girls' empowerment, community engagement and relief, youth empowerment and improving health and sanitation.
“We have built a computer lab and provided equipment at Nginda Mixed Secondary School in Maragua, Murang’a. It had no access to the internet or computer facilities to teach ICT,” she said.
The commissioner also said they also renovated Ihigaini Primary School that was in a deplorable state.
"We plastered eight classrooms and the administration block, replaced the old broken wooded doors and windows with metallic ones, put up a veranda, painted the entire school, and donated 150 desks."
Nyutu said the school did not have toilets so the foundation put up a modern ablution block.
“We have also sunk a borehole at Munguini Secondary School in Maragua for school and community use. We have also installed water tanks in many other schools,” she told the Star.
Hygiene and sanitation are big challenges because of chronic water shortages in the area.
The commissioner said the foundation also pays school fees for a number of students and supports them in other areas.
"We give food and material donations to community members in need and sports teams," Nyuto said.
Kenya needs to be a peaceful country. It needs leaders who believe in peaceful co-existence among communities
The foundation finances transport for Maragua Homeboys with 22 members for games all over the country, and supplies jerseys and food.
At NCIC, the commission’s vice chairperson said she is dealing with the challenge of getting cases successfully prosecuted in court.
“I would wish to have at least half of the cases we take to court, especially against politicians, succeed. Kenya needs to be a peaceful country. It needs leaders who believe in peaceful co-existence among communities,” she said.
In her free time, Nyutu enjoys listening to music, travelling and reading books. Currently, she is reading The Arts of Leadership and War by Cyrus the Great.
“My favourite book is '48 Laws of Power' and I love the 18th law that says avoid isolation. There is so much you can achieve in the right team,” she said.
Atop her globetrotting bucket list, she said, is the Caribbean. She conquered her fear of heights after she went bungee jumping at Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe.
Nyutu said it's tough striking a balance with all of them and finding an opportunity for self-care.
"I love taking up new challenges. It is through them that I get to test my limits and unlock new ones. Being disciplined helps. The fulfilment that comes with bringing to life what was just an idea is quite something," she said.
She added that being in her position means many people look up to her, thus she is always striving to be an exemplar demonstrating that anything you put your mind to, you can achieve.
Nyutu said she does not have any political ambitions currently as all her focus has been on her job at the commission.
However, if she were president today, the first thing she would do is "Place youth and women in positions of leadership and influence, and have a legal framework on policies that empower them because there is nothing for them without these enablers."
Ihagaini Primary School renovations by WNF
The Star also spoke to Joseph Kamau, chairman of the board of Ihagaini Primary school, a beneficiary of the Wambui Nyutu Foundation.
“Our school had long been neglected. Accessing one class located on a different block, one had to pass through bushes as there were no access paths,” Kamau said.
“The school did not have toilets. The old ones had collapsed and therefore, students went to the nearby bushes,” he said.
Kamau also said that the administration block and the classes had not been plastered and were always dusty.
“The Sh1,100 capitation the government gives the primary school is not enough,” he said.
The Wambui Nyutu Foundation from June 2020 has so far renovated all eight classrooms and the administration block. Workmen plastered, painted and fixed new metal doors and windows.
They also built eight modern toilets, five for girls and three for boys and urinals. They built access paths to connect the three blocks. They also donated 150 desks.
“The number of students enrolled increased from 215 to 248 after the renovations and school performance improved. The mean grade improved by 14 per cent,” he said
Kamau said the Wambui Foundation development has attracted CDF to pay attention to the school.
(Edited by V. Graham)