Letter from the Secretary

From the Secretary

Dear Members,

Firstly, I hope you and your loved ones are all safe and sound.

I am writing to you today full of gratitude and with sincere appreciation because, exactly two years ago, I was given the opportunity and immense honour to become the Club Secretary of the finest Private Member Club in Africa, a historic institution of the highest order with the most exquisite community of Members one could wish for. In light of this anniversary, I would like to thank the Chairman, the Main Committee, all sub-committees and of course all Members for your belief, trust and support over the past 24 months. It’s been an incredible journey through unprecedented times and I can’t thank you and my wonderful MCC team enough for keeping the faith in light of the Covid-19 pandemic which had a severe impact on the Old Lady of Muthaiga Road. Whereas the pre-Covid unwritten rule was that “the Club never closes”, we had to take a lot of rather unpopular measures including closing down the Club for the first time in its 107-year history for four months and again a year later for a month, but as Winston Churchill said while working on forming the United Nations after WWII, “never let a good crisis go to waste”. And it was indeed a great opportunity to see what truly makes our Club unique - it is not the lush gardens nor the beautiful buildings and facilities, the glitzy events or the signature food and drinks - it is our Membership and our Team Members. Our MCC community. A community of individuals that is second to none. I’d like to mention every single one of my team and you for being great Members in times of crisis, but I only have one page, so allow me to highlight the following.

Thank you Ann Sutcliffe and your Library Committee Philippa Turner, Julia Lawrence and Dickson Kamae for continuously improving our library selection with such a diversified, internationally acclaimed and well chosen range of books. Thank you Sheila Barker for keeping the esprit de corps with your wonderful corps de ballet. Thanks to the Balloting Committee with Chairman Kush Bhardwaj, Christina Andersen, Jeremy Ashworth, Paul Chemng’orem, Alan Gachukia, Lisa Karanja, Kevin Mutiso and Gordon Weston who have doubled their voluntary efforts to reduce the huge backlog on new Member applications. Thank you House, Wines & Messing Committee with Chairman Andrew Elwes, Vice-Chair Wangari Murugu, Juliet Agg-Manning, Jeroen de Clercq, Yvonne Gitobu, Tom Njeru and Lindsey RoundTurner, who have passionately worked with our MCC team to take our culinary offering to a new level.

We are equally thankful to our newly formed Sports Committee with Christina Andersen, Gerry Cunningham, John Goodwin, Aida Nesbitt, Kunal and Ekta Bid, Fabian Collis and Stefan Andersen for their passionate work on improving our sports offerings and building the MCC Sports Community.

Last but not least a huge thank you to the new Young Members Committee with Chairman Wangeci Kibuga, Alison Kariuki, Katarina Karanja, Nathaniel Macharia, Darshan Haria, Nadia Macharia and Priscilla King’ang’i for innovating on new events and making the Club a desirable destination for the young, cool and beautiful.

Because of all that passion, dedication and co-creation - notwithstanding the pandemic far from being over - I am convinced that the Club’s future is bright. Hand in hand with our dedicated committees, the entire MCC team is working tirelessly on offering you and your loved ones the best service and experience with the highest level of safety across all areas of the Club. “Nakupa hati nzuri “ has been the Club’s motto since inception in 1913 and we will continue to do so by upholding the Club’s traditions on the one hand and introducing new events, new services, new sports activities & coaching opportunities as well as new culinary offerings across the board.

Enjoy the read and please do get in touch with me on secretary@mcc.co.ke or call with regard to any ideas, comments or recommendations on how we can improve your experience at the Club. My best wishes to you and your families and I very much look forward to seeing you soon again at the Club.

customer-friendly place in Kenya. We want Muthaiga Country Club away from home” so, trusting our Members must become our On the Event front, we had record-breaking sell-out events Stones, “The Hootenanny, ” with their biggest show ever to the best-attended talk ever by iconic anthropologist Dr. Richard Leak launched exciting new events and partnerships such as trendiest pop-up bar on the continent featuring the finest the new Last-Thursday-of-the-Month series, Fishbowls@Pinks Bush Bar by our awesome new Youth Committee, which kicked off with al and beautiful Members and their friends who came to drink, 3am in the morning making MCC the place to be. And I would like to thank you all for the most memorable day Sunday 29 September 2019 - only 4 weeks in charge - we we experienced the most successful day in the history of PINKS restaurant highest turnover ever and the Club brimming with joy. And we have only just started, there is so much more to come… Many of you know that I love our Club and have been a Member for many years, so in closing I would like to make a promise my tenure I will do in the best interest of you as our Members. Because Members always come first. Looking forward to seeing you at Muthaiga Country Club! Yours always, Christian Vater

Christian Vater, Club Secretary Club Secretary Muthaiga Country Club