The visionary founder of Nairobi Institute of Business Studies (NIBS) Technical College, Madam Lizzie Muthoni Wanyoike, was laid to rest on Tuesday, January 23, 2024, at her late ex-husband’s residence in Gatanga, Murang’a, marking the end of an era for a prolific entrepreneur who left an indelible mark on the education sector.
Madam Lizzie, a luminary figure in business and education, succumbed to cancer on Sunday, January 14, leaving behind a legacy of substantial investments in education, real estate, and land.
Previously married to the late former Gatanga Member of Parliament, Mr Mburu Wanyoike, who passed away in 2018, Madam Lizzie found her final resting place at his home. Despite their separation in 1997 after 25 years of marriage, Madam Lizzie continued to use the Wanyoike name, honoring cultural traditions.
Mr Mburu Wanyoike, who served as Gatanga MP from 1992 to 1997 and Director of the Kenya Cooperative Creameries (KCC), was the father of their three children, Wanyoike Mburu, Stella Wanjiru, and Eric Kariuki.
During the funeral service held in Gatanga, the three children received a stern warning from clergy members, including Bishop Julius Njuguna of the Thika Diocese and Bishop Joel Waweru of Nairobi, against engaging in disputes over their mother’s substantial wealth.
Expressing dismay at the prevalent trend of children battling over their parents’ inheritance, the clergy cautioned, “What we witness in the country, with children fighting over their parents’ property, is disheartening.”
In his sermon, Bishop Waweru warned the children, stating, “If you begin to fight over that property, you will be shedding the sweat of your late mother to lawyers who will mercilessly drain your income under the pretext of representing you in court.”
Madam Lizzie, beyond founding NIBS, was the owner of the Emory Restaurant in Kileleshwa, Nairobi, and invested in primary and secondary schools, the stock market, the Lizzie Wanyoike Foundation, and the real estate sector.
Bishop Waweru urged the children to uphold their mother’s values, emphasizing her generous heart and commitment to helping the less fortunate, supporting numerous individuals through her professional expertise.
The passing of Madam Lizzie Muthoni Wanyoike marks the end of an era, but her legacy as a pioneering entrepreneur and educator will endure in the institutions and initiatives she leaves behind.
