Do you find that people look at you through the prism of your father?
They do and it’s very difficult in the workplace because I encounter people who already have made an opinion about me even before they’ve met me. I’ve had to prove myself that I’m here because I can do the job not because I’m Chris Kirubi’s daughter.
How are you and your father alike?
We’re similar in character. The work ethic, the ..stubbornness… (Laughs). My dad is always pushing it. He’s a man who should have retired by now but he will not. Every day he gets to more boards, more organisations, he gets called to other countries to talk about Kenya; the economic environment, the business environment… so he can’t stop, he won’t stop. I don’t think he should. If he still has a lot to give, he should continue giving.
What’s the one lesson you’ve learnt from him?
(Long pause) You have no excuse to give up. No excuse at all. My father was an orphan. He grew up on the streets. Yes, people say he’s proud, but he deserves to be proud considering where he’s reached, from where he came from.
Do you get angry when you read the things written in the media about him?
You would too if someone wrote untrue things about your family, wouldn’t you? But you grow a thick skin and learn to ignore the untruths.
Tell me about your mother.
She’s a lovely lady. She’s very low key. That’s where probably I get that from. She’s very hardworking too. She’s retired now. She loves her kids. Her life is her children.
