By K, KNA
A cloud of grief has enveloped staff at the State department of Broadcasting and Telecommunication following the passing on of a long serving employee, Ms Lucy Mbuiri Muguku.
The 60-year-old Ms Muguku who joined public Service in 1987, passed on last week at the Kenyatta University Referral hospital where she had been admitted from early December 2025 after she fell sick. She has served the Information department for 38-plus years.
Ms Muguku who will be laid to rest at the family home in Kiirungi sub location, Gikondi
division, Mukurwe-ini subcounty on Friday, January 29 had suffered ill health for quite
sometimes but that did not deter her from discharging her duties very committedly.
She worked at KNA’s Press Office at the Directorate of Information located at Uchumi
House headquarters in Nairobi County.
Staffmates and friends eulogized Lucy as a happy soul saying they would remember her
for warm smiles, generosity and team spirit.
“I have lost a very close friend and I am saddened by her demise. Our friendship dates back to October 21st 1987 when we both coincidentally joined the Civil Service,” said Mrs. Jane Wandia Wamuya,” one of Lucy’s closest friends.
Mrs. Wamuya added: “Having just joined the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting,
we met on the corridors of Information House where the department headquarters were located.
After greetings, we both asked one another in Gikuyu language Kai uri guku ? (How
come you are here?). We then started conversing in whispers as we reckoned that speaking loudly was illegal and could result in getting us sacked,’’ quipped Mrs. Wamuya.
She described Lucy as outgoing, bold, and very generous saying she was always ready to
forgive whenever anybody rubbed her the wrong way. Wandia’s fond sentiments were echoed by
other colleagues as well as Lucy’s younger brother Mr. Ben Kariuki Muguku.
“My sister was a very generous, disciplined and happy person. I cannot remember even
one incident of her being beaten by our late parents; Esther Muthoni and James Muguku as she
was very obedient. As for me I would sometimes get a thorough beating in order to walk the straight path,” Mr Kariuki said.
Director of Information Mr John Kahuthu said the department had lost a
dedicated member of staff who stayed committed to her duties despite her ill health.
“Imagine the day her health took a turn for the worse, she had reported to work out of her own volition. That day I walked to press office as usual and one look at her convinced me she was unwell. I asked her to go and seek treatment and she got admitted,” said Mr Kahuthu as he condoled with the family.
Others officers who condoled with the family included Information Secretary Mr
Temesi Mukani, Directors Esther Wanjau and Cyrilla Barasa and Head of Kenya News
Agency (KNA) Mr Kizito Maruti.
According to her brother Mr Ben Kariuki, the late Lucy Mbuiri was the ninth-born child of
the late Mr and Mrs. James Muguku Wachira of Kiirungi sub location, Gikondi, division,
Mukurwe-ni Sub County, Nyeri.
She attended Gikondi primary school in the 70s and after sitting her KCPE examination,
joined Kanyuambora Girls Secondary school up to form-two. She was then transferred to
Tumutumu Girls high school where she sat the Kenya Certificate of Education (KCE) and
passed well.
On matters of faith, Mr Kariuki remarked that Lucy was a devout Catholic adding
she was baptized in 1978 at Gikondi Catholic Parish. “My sister has been a devout Catholic
follower. She has never switched to any other denomination and was even a registered member of the Catholic Women Association (CWA) in Umoja Estate where she has been residing,’’ Mr Kariuki told this writer at their home on Saturday.
The late Lucy Mbuiri Muguku is survived by two children Carol and Esther and five
grandchildren.