Given the short time he had to travel to Britain, he did not have time to seek study leave from his employer, the Teachers Service Commission. He was fired though this was not communicated to him. It was while in Britain that the idea of starting an indigenous institution of higher learning crossed his mind.

The suffering of Kenyans, he says, moved him, as they struggled to learn, work and live in a foreign land. “But the enthusiasm nearly evaporated when he found himself jobless. He turned to milk distribution on behalf of the Mount Kenya Milk,” says Gathoni about the first-born son of the late Stephen Gicharu, adding: “His father also gave him an old pick-up and a little financial support.” The former teacher and now co-director at MKU recalls times were hard at the time.

But the support, remembers Gathoni, that she extended the educationist, gave her husband the impetus he needed. As he distributed milk, he helped to establish the Enterprise Partners Club. The money was put into capacity building, and like his old man, encouraged people to save and this transformed into Ngumbato Savings Initiative.