John Githongo was born in 1966 barely 3 years into Kenya's independence. The bitter political struggle between the get-rich-quick kitchen cabinet crowd surrounding President Jomo Kenyatta and politicians who still believed in the dream of the independence struggle like Tom Mboya had already started taking shape. The first Anglo-leasing-like deals had already been done and sealed.
Interestingly John Githongo's own father was soon to join the Kenyatta government and end up as a long serving PS (Permanent Secretary).
St Mary's Years
The most fascinating thing about Githongo's life is how despite his privileged upbringing going to school with the sons of the high and mighty in Kenya at St Mary's School, he still managed to keep his feet firmly on the ground.
St Marys was the school where the children of all prominent Kenyans went. Fellow students at about the same time were Uhuru Kenyatta (the current leader of the official opposition), former President Moi's sons, and the Kibaki children.
With his burly figure that brought him out as much older than his true years, classmates whose average weight and size was smaller, quite often made fun of him. Young Githongo did not particularly excel at anything. He did not become exceptionally good at games like rugby which were particularly popular at the school and where his built would have come in rather handy. And neither was he exceptional in his academics.
John Githongo's Comic Book Idea
One thing however clearly occupied young John Githongo's mind in his last years of high school. It was the publishing business.
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