Mr. Geoffery Ngugi Kiruri, Strathmore’s longest serving librarian passed away on Wednesday, 16th October 2024 after a short illness. He will be laid to rest on Thursday, 24th October 2024 in his home in Muthiga Village, Kinoo, Kiambu County. The funeral service will be held at Gitumbi PCEA Church Kinoo, from 10:0am.
Mr. Ngugi’s journey at Strathmore started right at the beginning of the institution; indeed, he is one of the few people who literally participated in its building, brick, by brick. When construction work at Strathmore School (then Strathmore College) began, many young men at the time sought employment at the construction site. Many came and went but Mr. Ngugi’s diligence and industry caught the eye of the school administrators and they decided to keep him, and for a long time.
Formally joining the school in 1967, Mr. Ngugi worked in various capacities, culminating in his being appointed School Librarian, the last station he worked in at the school. Despite not having any formal training as a librarian, Mr. Ngugi self-trained and became one of the most effective librarians the school has ever had! Every time I went to him for a book, he would get it for me in record time, sometimes without even consulting the catalogue!
Many of us who interacted with Mr. Ngugi cherish memories of a gentle, almost bashful man whose welcoming smile was as gentle as it was genuine. A perfect peaceful man and true peacemaker, Mr. Ngugi did his work so diligently, yet so discreetly that he never drew attention to himself. Even when sometimes the students would be a little rowdy and deliberately did things to annoy him, Mr. Ngugi would correct them with such gentleness and with his signature smile. With time, they gave up trying to annoy him. They realized it was impossible to get him worked up!
Mr. Ngugi retired from employment in 2001 more from his own persistence than from necessity. Having rendered distinguished service to the school for over 34 years, he felt that time had come to let a younger person take his mantle. Finding a replacement for him was not easy. Men such as Mr. Ngugi do not come easy!
As we bid farewell to this great man, we can only give praise to God for creating such a great soul and loving us so much as to choose us to share his life with us.
