The 84-year-old primary school pupil

Witness History

BBC

History, Personal Journals, Society & Culture

4.4 • 1.6K Ratings

🗓️ 10 October 2023

⏱️ 10 minutes

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Summary

In 2004, Kimani Maruge became the oldest man to start primary school when he enrolled at the Kapkenduiywo Primary School in Kenya. The 84-year-old student was a former soldier who had fought against colonial rule in the Mau Mau independence movement. He missed out on school as a child so when the Kenyan government scrapped all fees for state primary education, he saw his chance to finally learn to read and write. Kimani's former teacher Jane Obinchu tells Vicky Farncombe how his story inspired people all over the world. (Photo: Kimani Maruge attends class at Kapkenduiywo Primary School in Kenya. Credit: Reuters/Thomas Mukoya)

Transcript

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0:00.0	You're listening to the witness history podcast from the BBC World Service with me, Vicky
0:10.1	Fankham.
0:11.1	I'm taking you back 20 years when an 84-year-old from Kenya became the oldest pupil to start
0:17.9	primary school and took a story all the way to the United Nations.
0:23.0	It's October 2003, and head teacher Jaina Binchu from Capkendu U Primary School in
0:33.6	Eldorette is preparing for the following school year and knock at the door reveals
0:39.4	an unusual potential pupil.
0:42.6	Kamani Marugay is 84.
0:45.6	He's a veteran of the Mao Mao Independence Movement which fought against colonial rule and he's
0:51.6	never been to school.
0:53.6	He's hoping to take advantage of a new law in Kenya offering free education at all state
0:59.1	primary schools.
1:02.6	The reason I wanted to study is to show Kenyan children and the entire world that education
1:07.4	is more important than anything else, more than being rich.
1:11.3	True world is being educated.
1:13.3	That's Kamani talking to the Reuters News Agency in 2006.
1:18.1	Back in 2003, it's Jaina he has to convince, and she is not keen on adding an octagonary
1:24.5	into her register.
1:26.0	We dismissed him, we told him he was too old to learn, so to get rid of him, I told him
1:33.4	to come back in January of the year 2004.
1:37.6	Jaina thinks that's the last she'll see of Kamani.
1:40.4	To my surprise, when the school's opened in the year 2004, he was by my office and dressed
	...

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