Ex-chief eyes PhD after 18 years of relentless pursuit of education

By JOSEPH WANGUI
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Chiefs have for a long time been perceived as powerful people with low formal education.

But not for Lucy Wairuri Maina, who is now a holder of a master’s degree in Business Administration and Strategic Management after graduating from Kenyatta University last week.

Her quest for formal education started 18 years ago, when the State employed her as the assistant chief for Gaaki Location in Tetu sub-county, Nyeri County.

The 54-year-old mother of four joined Kenyatta University in 2006 for Bachelor of Education degree (English and Literature) and graduated in December 2010 with second-class honours.

“It was the happiest moment of my life. Two weeks before getting the degree I had received an advanced diploma in theology from Presbyterian University,” says Ms Maina, who also dabbles her hands in dairy and poultry farming.

After completing her secondary school education as a teenager, she got married at 20.


“My husband, Prof Wangari Mwai and my children – who are all university graduates – have been my main motivators. I have turned to be a mentor of young women learners in Nyeri,” she says.

Though elderly, she went for the master’s degree due to her desire to render professional services to the villagers and because she was dealing with people of diverse backgrounds and educational levels.

Nyeri County Government employed her in 2013 as a sub-county administrator. Ms Maina says she clinched the job due to her experience in public administration and academic credentials that wowed the late governor Nderitu Gachagua.

Her master’s research project focused on corporate governance and performance of agricultural cooperative societies in Tetu.

“While serving as chief for 12 years, I came to understand the coffee agricultural subsector has a myriad of problems,” she says.

In her research, she found that the coffee sector was ailing due to a lack of transparency and accountability in the financial management of the cooperatives. Multiple coffee co-operatives in one area, according to her research, which she conducted under the supervision of Dr Anne Muchemi, is also to blame for poor returns in coffee farming.

Ms Maina is waiting to enrol for a PhD as she says was motivated by Prof Mwai, her husband. “I want to scale the education ladder. I am keen to see that professional services are rendered to the public and other clients. Education has no end.”