Indelible mark of philanthropic tycoon

Enashipai Resort and Spa in Naivasha. It was established by John Mwangi Kagema. PHOTO | FILE | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • Wakagema was an audacious, competitive and thoughtful man who relished discourse on big policy issues affecting the country rather trivial matters.
  • He had that rare combination of intellectual prowess and entrepreneurship acumen which enabled him convert great ideas to viable practical business solutions.

When he died on December 26, 2018 at Aga Khan Hospital, John Mwangi Kagema went away with stories of his entrepreneurial spirit that had seen him start the Enashipai Resort and Spa. Initially, he wanted to be a locomotive driver.

How he turned the bushland on the shores of Lake Naivasha into a splendid getaway for international seminars, weddings and conferences could have been the turning point for Naivasha town.

Wakagema, as he was fondly known, was one of the founders of Equity Bank. But he was an introvert and hardly talked much about it.

He had left a well-paying job to become the founding chief executive of Equity Building Society, the precursor to Equity Bank.

He laid the foundation of the society and set it on an upward trajectory to become the Equity Bank we know today.

AWARD

The bank revolutionised the banking sector through financial inclusion of millions of Kenyans who were previously neglected by the sector, and is one of the most successful indigenous banks.

Upon his retirement from Equity Bank, he headed to the virgin 50 acres of rocks, snakes and shrubs on the shores of Lake Naivasha armed with a dream.

The realisation of that dream — Enashipai Resort and Spa — has inspired similar establishments across the country, winning global acclaim along the way.

His latest venture, a multimillion-shilling granite factory at Mavoko in Machakos County, has just been completed.

These notable contributions earned him the Order of the Elder of the Burning Spear (EBS) that was conferred on him by President Uhuru Kenyatta in December 2016.

Although he was not nationally well-known, Wakagema is one of the granite figures in Kenya.

He was supremely two things: An entrepreneur and philanthropic Kenyan.

INSPIRATION

Some time in October 2017, he invited me to accompany him on a long drive to his rural home in Kangema, Murang’a County.

As his close friend and a mentee, I had always been mesmerised by his thought process and his philanthropic impulses that mirrors some of the greatest American philanthropists like Ford, Carnegie and Rockefeller.

I became intellectually inquisitive on his thought process. Initially he was reluctant to discuss his successes but later agreed to share his story because it would inspire his children, grandchildren and Kenyans in general.

During the trip he narrated two events that completely changed his life.

First, the fulfilment of his childhood dream of becoming a locomotive driver after graduating from primary school slipped away when he inadvertently attended the interview at the Kenya Railways in Nairobi instead of Murang'a office where it was scheduled.

NURTURE

Second, his headmaster at Kirogo High School refused to recommend him to join Kenya Army as a first career choice, perhaps because of his outstanding academic performance.

After visiting some of his most memorable sites and paying courtesy to his close relatives, we ended up at his parents' grave site.

While we were there, he emotionally remembered his parents, Mr Habel Kagema and Elizabeth Wanjeri, who, contrary to cultural norm, sold their ancestral land to send their children to school.

Admittedly, he regretted that his parents never lived long enough to enjoy his wealth.

Seemingly, this moral indebtedness to his parents may have been the genesis of his philanthropic instinct.

On the way back to Nairobi, we stopped at Muthaiga Golf Club for a drink.

After reflecting on his past and future aspirations, Wakagema acknowledged that his great ideas came from God.

TRAITS

In his humble opinion, he was the hand of God doing good to humanity. And good he has done for his family and friends.

Wakagema was an audacious, competitive and thoughtful man who relished discourse on big policy issues affecting the country rather trivial matters.

He had that rare combination of intellectual prowess and entrepreneurship acumen which enabled him convert great ideas to viable practical business solutions.

His towering and dignified posture displayed a high-level of humility that accommodated people from all walks of life.

Over the years, these attributes had a positive impact on Kenya’s socio-economic development paradigm, structurally changing the landscape of Kenya’s banking and hospitality industries to name but two.

We, his long-time fraternity of Dove Cage, Happy Den, Lake Naivasha Holiday Inn and later Enashipai, dare not forget.

This hand of God has enriched and left an indelible mark in our hearts. We cherish the great many memories with Wakagema.

Prof Joseph Kieyah is the chairman of coffee sub-sector implementation committee