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Paul Muthoka Mbole 1936-2019 |
The story of Paul Mbole is long, dramatic and colourful. He walked
from rags to riches and lived with uncanny forthrightness, underlined by an unshakable
resolve to pursue in what he believed was right. The Anchor, publishes the
official record of the man who bestrode Machakos business and Kamba politics
for decades as a colossus.
His final journey begins Wednesday February 6,2019 at Lee Funeral Home down to Mbagathi Way and onward to Langata Road to join the Southern Bypass. The cortege will then drive down to join Mombasa Road near Airtel to Machakos for a brief stopover outside the Mbole Hotel. The convoy will then snake towards his Kimutwa Home for a Funeral Service followed by burial rites.
The Early Years
In
a village known as Miaani in the sub-location of Iiuni of Kalama location in
Machakos District a boy was born in the year 1936 to Mbole Muasya and Kaveki
Mbole as their second child who in addition to an older sister Beatrice Kalondu
(Ukulu) was also followed by three younger brothers, Gedion Mutisya, Joseph
Musili & Tom Mweu. He also had multiple half-siblings from his father who
had three other wives.
His
parents initially named him Katunga but he later outgrew the name into the man
we know today as Paul Muthoka Mbole.
Having
been born into abject poverty, Paul spend his early years herding cows and
goats with his various siblings and cousins as well as helping out around the
homestead. His experience growing up in poverty had a major impact on him and
he vowed to never live or subject his family to the kind of poverty that he had
experienced.
Paul
started his schooling at IIiuni Primary School from Std 1 to Std 4 from 1948 to
1953. Starting in 1954 to 1958 he was sent to AIM Mbooni Intermediate School
(Std 5 to Std 8) which required him leave his village and walk for many hours
to stay with relatives and family friends during the week and coming home on
weekends. While in Mbooni he stayed with amongst others the late Mr. Muteti
Kitolo (Kiembeni) who owned a shop where he entrusted Paul in running it while
Mr. Kitolo was away and in so doing planted the seed of business acumen in
Paul. Mr. Kitolo would remain a friend a mentor of Paul’s for many decades.
Paul
later joined Machakos Technical School in 1959 and completed his Form 4 in 1962
having specialized in Masonry. While there Paul met and befriended the late
Justice Kasanga Mulwa who was at the time a student at Machakos School and the
two were to remain to remain very close friends and confidants of more than 55
years.
Work Life
Paul
started his working life in 1963 when he was first employed by the City Council
of Nairobi and where one of his assignments was helping in the construction of
the Nairobi City Stadium. He later got employed at Kenya Orchards Ltd. (KOL)
starting in 1965 where he worked as Building Foreman and in 1966 he started
work with Singer Sewing Machine as a Sales Representative and at the same time
him and his wife opened a small shop in the Mjini section of Machakos town. In
1968 Paul left employment to become a fulltime businessman a career he stuck to
for the rest of his life.
From
the small shop that they opened in Mjini he expanded to a bigger one in the
same neighborhood later moving to Kiwanjani/Machakos Bus Station in 1977 where
in addition to retail business he also expanded into wholesale and later went
into the the Hotel/Restaurant business as well as owning and running a Butchery
all under the Mbole Stores enterprise name.
Family Life
In
1966 Paul married the love of his life and true life partner Monica Loko Nzioka
and together they were blessed with six children namely Mwania, Cii, Mwikali, Musyoki,
Makau and Mzahim. He made a point of raising his children with access to resources
that he couldn’t afford growing up but always reminding them of never
forgetting who they were, where they had come from and how privileged they
were.
Paul
was to later become the father in-law to Mwanzia, Chege, Maureen, Bernice &
Irene which in turn led him to the role of the ever dotting and loving
grandfather (known to them as Babu) to 12 grandchildren namely George, Melissa,
Tyson, Mwende, Joy, Nthenya, Furaha, Loko, Braisy, Paulo, Daisy & Paul G.
In
addition to his own immediate family, Paul was also a father figure, mentor,
counselor, leader and many other roles to countless number of people.
Public/Elective Office
In
addition to becoming a businessman, Paul also went into public life where
starting from 1968 to 1974 he was elected to the Kenya National Chamber of
Commerce & Industry as the Secretary of the Machakos Branch.
In
1974 he ran for and won election as a Councilor to the Municipal Council of
Machakos where he stayed in office until 1992.
Also
starting in April 1975 he joined the Konza Ranching & Farming Co-Operative
Society initially as a committee member and starting in February 1979 he was
elected as Chairman but in order to comply with a new law that required one not
hold such a post while also as Councilor he stepped down in 1983. He was later
elected Chairman once again in July 1993 and held the post until August 1999.
Starting
in 1991 he also joined the Kenya Co-operative Creameries (KCC) as a Director
where he stayed in office until 1996.
Paul
was once again elected to the Kenya National Chamber of Commerce this time as
Chairman of the Machakos Branch where he stayed in office from 2001 to 2012.
In
addition to the various offices mentioned above, Paul also unsuccessfully ran
for office to be a Member of Parliament for Kilome Constituency in 1992 and
later for Machakos Town Constituency in 1997 & 2002. He was also the
Machakos KANU Coordinator during the 1992 General Elections.
He
was a passionate lover of politics and mentor/advisor to many politicians and
stayed actively engaged even while his health was failing.
Farming Life
In
the early to mid 1980’s Paul and his wife through their membership at Konza
Ranching & Farming Society started to acquire land which they began farming
in as well as raising cattle. Paul for the most part dealt with the cattle
while his wife Monica took on the cultivation of crops and as a result he came
to own grade level cattle (Mikuni) which he was very proud of and very
dedicated to up until his last days. He would often in his final days ask to be
taken by wheelchair to see his cattle and wanting to stay out there for as long
as he could sometimes even want to lift himself up from the wheelchair to get
closer to them.
Spiritual Life
Paul
was a life-long member of the African Inland Church (AIC Bomani) which he
joined in 1970 before they had a church home of their own worshipping instead
at the Machakos Social Hall. He was
later instrumental in the construction of their first church in the early 1970’s
at its current location and later played a large role in the construction of
the much larger sanctuary which was opened in 1980 at its current location
right next to the original one.
Never
one to forget where he came from, Paul helped in the launching and opening of
AIC Miiani in his home village. In 2010 he was inspired to donate a piece of
his land for the construction of AIC Uiuni which can be seen from the main road
as you turn to come to his home.
Even
though his failing health lessened his church attendance in the last number of
months of his life, he still tried to attend church service whenever he could
his final service at AIC Bomani having being 16th December 2018 and
at the neighborhood AIC Uiini on Christmas morning 25th December
2018.
Social Life
In
addition to his membership at various Kikundis/Chamas and to the Machakos
Sports Club where he socialized, Paul very much loved hosting and having people
at his house and as his children often joked, he always looked for any excuse
to kuthinza mbui (slaughter a goat).
When
various guests were invited to come over his first and almost exclusive
interest was to ensuring their comfort and that they were abundantly served
with food and their libations of choice.
He
was always delighted at having his children and grandchildren over at his home
and given the size of his family consuming a goat on their own happened without
much of an effort the point where a second goat would be required at the very
last minute.
Paul
was a true family man and seemed to get his energy from surrounding himself
with people many of whom just like his own children referred to him as Farthie.
Paul
was renowned amongst his children and close friends for his early morning calls
(some as early as 5AM) just to check in and see how they were doing. If one of
his children did not answer his calls he would call another one and ask the
phone ignorer to have them call him.
Illness
In
March 2002 Paul was diagnosed with an enlarged prostate gland for which he had
successful surgery. However, in 2004 he was diagnosed with prostate cancer
information that he accepted with courage and was more than willing to follow doctors’
advice. He immediately underwent aggressive treatment of which included
numerous radiotherapy sessions and later chemotherapy sessions starting at MP
Shah Hospital and later at Nairobi Hospital. Most of these treatments were
successful and for the most part kept his cancer at bay.
In
April of 2018 after complaining of a headache for few days, Paul had several
tests done which indicated that his cancer had spread to his brain and lungs.
His doctor prepared his family at this point indicating that Paul was not
expected to live for more than 6 months but being the fighter that he always
was, he defied all odds with courage and grace fighting until the end and living
for another 9 months.
Paul
believed in proper grooming and appropriate attire. During the final months of
his life when he was too sick to leave the house he still insisted on dressing
in proper dress trousers and a shirt to include his beloved two handkerchiefs,
wallet, pen and watch only to go as far as his sitting room to receive guests
and well-wishers.
Paul’s
desire was to not to be kept on life support and/or in ICU and if possible to
spend his final days at home. God must have had kept his ears close to Paul’s
mouth because his wish came to pass in that with the advancement of technology
he was able to spend his final days in the comfort of his home with all the
medications and comforts that he would have had in the hospital. He spent the
final 48 hours of his life surrounded by his family and caretaker and we
believe he left us the way he had wanted to.
We
are here to celebrate a life well lived by a man of class who worked very hard
and accomplished a lot but through it all remained true to himself and never
for a second forgot who he was or how far he had come. He will truly and always
be missed by not just his family but the many people whose lives he affected.
Farthie Koma Nesa!
