At 90, veteran lawyer Dr John Khaminwa is looking back on a life shaped by family, faith, education, loss and the enduring love of those closest to him.
Khaminwa turned 90 on Thursday, September 10, 2026, marking the milestone with a deeply personal reflection on the people and experiences that have accompanied him through the decades.
In marking the milestone, Khaminwa turned to the memories, people and experiences that have shaped his remarkable journey through life.
A video doing rounds online shows the lawyer dancing to some Luhya tunes in his office.
“Today is my Happy Birthday. I am now 90 years old. I thank the Almighty God, I thank him for his blessings of good health,” he said.
Born on September 10, 1936, in Masiyenze, a Quaker village at the bottom of Kimingini Hill in Kakamega, Khaminwa began his recollection with memories of his parents.
His father was educated at Kaimosi Missionary School and later worked as a teacher at Musingu and Kakamega.
Khaminwa fondly remembered how his father took time to teach him the basic skills that would mark the beginning of his education.
“I take this opportunity to thank my late father Ralph Shihemi Asiabugwa Khaminwa educated at Kaimosi Missionary School and personally took the trouble to teach me reading, writing and arithmetic in my early years at home,” he said.
His mother, Rasoah Muhonjia Khaminwa, was born and brought up in Maragoli.
Khaminwa recalled her with affection and a touch of humour, remembering how she would remind him that she was “a Maragoli and not a Kakamega like my father.”
His reflections also took him back to the classrooms where his journey continued.
He thanked the teachers who taught him at primary schools in Masiyenze, Makhokho, Musingu and Kakamega, as well as those at the Government African School Kakamega, as it was known during the colonial period.
He also remembered his teachers at Alliance High School, Kikuyu.
But alongside gratitude, his 90th birthday brought memories of those he has lost.
Khaminwa remembered his late wife, Lady Joyce, whom he described as “a wonderful wife” from Nyeri Kiamaliga.
The memories remain personal and painful, with Khaminwa acknowledging that he continues to miss the companionship and love they shared.
He also reminisced his eldest son, the late Albert Shihemi.
Yet amid those losses, he expressed gratitude for the family members who remain by his side.
“I thank the Almighty God that I continue to enjoy the company of Anne, Arthur, and Angela as my children. I love them and I know they love me,” he said.
Khaminwa also evoked memories his late brothers Japheth, Reuben, Thomas, Mujidi, Major and Charles Ford, as well as his late sisters Khagasa and Judith Eramoga.
He noted that his surviving siblings include his brothers David Muyembe and James Aluvale and sister Beatrice Ijereha.
An Advocate of the High Court of Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, Khaminwa has accumulated several academic qualifications, including an LL.B from the University of London and an LL.M in International Law from New York University.
But at 90, it was the memories of home, the lessons of his parents, the guidance of his teachers and the love of family that occupied his thoughts.
His message ended with a birthday wish not only for himself but for others, particularly fellow Kenyans and friends abroad.
“Again, ‘Happy Birthday’ to Kenyans particularly my learned friends and friends abroad,” he concluded.
