The Muthaiga Country Club Magazine April - June 2022 by Shelleys the Printers Ltd

April - June 2022

The M u tha i g a Country Club M agazi n e

Th e M u th ai g a Countr y Cl u b M ag azi ne

Front Cover Photo Detail of photograph of cheetah cubs taken by MCC Member Luke Gent, during the filming of Serengeti II, for John Downer Productions Ltd.

(see more on Pages 14 & 15)

March - May 2022

C on t e nts page 1

Letter from the Chairman

page 2

Letter from the Secretary

page 3

Membership Matters

page 4

Balloting & Finance Reports

page 5

Wines & Messing

page 6

Staff News

page 7

Events

page 9

Forthcoming Events Diary

page 10

Heritage Collection

page 11

Muthaiga Sports Round-Up

page 12

Inaugural Willie Watson Bowls Invitational

page 14

A Life in the Day of Luke Gent

page 16

St. Patrick's Day Ball

page 17

Young Members' Fish Bowl Games Night

page 18

Members' Achievements

page 19

Butterfly Trust Dinner

page 20

Opera & Ballet

page 21 Library Book Reviews page 22

Members' Honours

page 23

Classic Car Show

page 24

Bird Quiz

page 25

Hatches & Matches

page 26

Obituaries

The Muthaiga Country Club Magazine is published by MCC for Members Editor: Yoyo Volak Magazine Production: Matthew Rudd, Mercy Wanyeri, Diana Waithaka, Eunice Mulwa, Yvonne Magambo, Erastus Kamau, Martin Musyoka, Vincent Ford. Contributors: Edita Camm, Julia Lawrence, Peter Usher, David Bromham & Tom Lawrence. Design & Layout by Shelleys the Printers. Printed by Graphite Lounge. Muthaiga Country Club April - June 2022

23 22

18 21 www.mcc.co.ke

From the Chairman Members A warm welcome to the latest edition of the Club magazine, put together by Yoyo and her team, with our grateful thanks. Thank you to those who have taken the time to contribute articles to this edition. I urge anyone with interesting tales of derring-do, whether they are your own or of your ancestors, to put pen to paper and tell us about those experiences. Inside this edition you will find articles on some Members’ remarkable achievements and awards, fascinating books recently published by certain scribes among our Membership and, for those who might have missed them, a round-up of some of the glittering events that have taken place at MCC recently. We are in the throes of recruiting the Club Secretary and I will let you know when that process is complete. We are grateful to David Muunga and his team for holding the fort. The Club continues to thrive and, as ever, we are grateful to the hard-working staff and the incredible support from all Members. Weddings, Derby Days, wonderful exhibitions (I trust you enjoyed the African Rock Art display in particular), recitals, memorial services, sporting events, fine fayre, excellent company… you name it, the Club does it to the highest quality. I mentioned memorial services: we have recently held celebrations of the lives of two of our former Chairmen, Patrick Walker and Colin Church. Former Chairman Nick Muriuki Mugwandia passed away in 2019 and sadly another former Chairman, Tony Valentine, also died recently. A celebration of Tony’s life will be held at the Club at the end of this month (see Membership Matters Page 3 for details). Together, these four gentlemen gave a century of service to this Club. We remain eternally grateful to each of them for their vision and wise leadership and we look forward to their families enjoying the Club for many generations to come. The Club is returning to pre-Covid normality. Thank you for complying with the protocols that we were required to keep in place for so long. As the Club gets back to normal, please ensure that you abide by the Club’s by-laws, and note particularly that it is prohibited to tip the staff. I wish you well for the forthcoming months and hope you continue to enjoy your Club. My warmest best wishes to you and your families

Philip Coulson, Chairman, Muthaiga Country Club

www.mcc.co.ke

April - June 2022 Muthaiga Country Club

From the Secretary Dear Members This will be the last time I write to you as Club Secretary of this wonderful institution. I would like to say Asanteni Sana to all of you for your trust, belief and support over the past two and a half years - what a journey it was for all of us! I would like to thank Chairman Philip Coulson, Chairman of Committees Vijay Gidoomal and all members of Main for your courage for taking a chance on me. Making a serial entrepreneur with long hair, a penchant for white suits and colourful Kenyan-made jackets, an allergy to wearing socks and with no previous hospitality experience the youngest Club Secretary in the 108-year history of this Club was certainly daring. On top of all that, you put the first German ever in charge of a “British Club” who promptly returned the favour with shutting it down for the first time ever just 7 days after signing his permanent contract and introducing a plethora of strict COVID protocols and guidelines... It took the MCC team only 48-hours to shut down the entire Club but four months to re-open. I was deeply worried that I would end up being the first Club Secretary who ever closed the Club and NEVER re-opened it! Fast forward to now and we see a wonderful Club in a fantastic financial position thanks to an incredibly hard-working, aligned team and our Members’ reliable and continued support. And the Club’s future is bright - in line with the most recent lifting of COVID restrictions we are a further step towards a new, better “normal” and hopefully we will be able to provide you with a high resemblance to pre-Covid Club life. While the recruitment process for a new Club Secretary is ongoing, our Finance Director David Muunga is currently in charge of the Club and can be reached on finance@mcc.co.ke or +254 (0) 20 722 9 209. For those of you who would like to stay in touch, you can reach me on cvater@gmx.net or +254 (0) 791 471 133. Last but not least, I would like to thank my entire MCC family, my wonderful team, all Heads of Departments, Managers, Supervisors, Juniors, Trainees, Interns and Casuals as well as our suppliers, and partners who stood by me all the way and pledged to bring back our Club from zero to new heights. I salute you. And in best Kenyan tradition, let me not say goodbye but rather kwaheri ya kuonana. My best wishes to you and your families,

Christian Vater, Club Secretary Muthaiga Country Club

Muthaiga Country Club April - June 2022

www.mcc.co.ke

MEMBERSHIP MEMBERSHIP AE T MM AT T R ST E R S With the winding down of a communications committee, this page is devoted to being more

of an opinion page, where prevailing moods and sentiments of Members on current Club MEMORIAL FOR Ladies Bowls Champion ing downKenya ofissues, a communications committee, this wepage devoted expressed in comments and mails, are echoed. As always, want tois know what’s on to being more RICHARD (DICK) MOSS MBE your mind, and will always welcome your feedback. page, where prevailing moods and sentiments & MCC Member Essie Walkerof Members on current Club sed in comments mails, are echoed. As always, we want to know what’s onA Musical Memorial will take place at 2.30pm on toand Represent Kenya at the nd will always welcome your feedback. Sunday 24th July 2022 World Bowls at the Catholic University of Eastern Africa Auditorium Ladies Singles Championships

at Pinks

MCC bowler Essie Walker, who is the current R E C E NTLY, A DE C ISION WAS M AD E TO O Kenya Ladies champion, will …be representing O F F E R BR E AK FAST ON LY AT P IN KS… Kenya at the 2022 World Bowls Ladies Singles Breakfast at Pinks only is a mistake. Do away with Championship, which will hosted by the the chafing dishes and cook to order as itbe used M O RE GEN ERALLY to be. TP Bowling Club in Wellington, New Naenae Your German sausage has not seen Germany Zealand in November this year. Appalled by people’s behaviour at Pinks, and

nks

disappointed to have to have breakfast there… I am

off Langata South Road, just past Tangaza and Allamo on the Left, Gate C. ALL ARE WELCOME. Donations, if any, to be made to the Parkinson’s Support Group. For more information please contact Father Thomas Kevin Kraft tkkraftop@gmail.com

and the saurecraut [sic] was not cooked. It tasted ok as I was very hungry. PE

Essie is aMember regular Muthaiga and a very keen competitor. an overseas and bowler come to theat Club for the Club, not to come to an average hotel. FP

Why is it that there are never any ice-creams

TONY VALENTINE MEMORIAL SERVICE

We wish EssieMADE all the best DECISION WAS TO Oin New Zealand. in the fridge? Also, never any low-fat milk. RH While I agree with the economic reasons for having only one venue for breakfast, I do not agree with the argument that economy alone justifies dispensing with breakfast in the old restaurant in a child-free environment. RS

… AS T ONLY AT PINKS…

Peter Vernon-Evans Bowls Trophy

only is a mistake. Do away with No waiters, MCC tables notSecretary, laid, multiple the trips required, Former and cook no to logicorder to layout, as foodit in used chafing dishes cold,

late Peter Vernon-Evans, table not cleared as food finished, coffee disgusting.AB the creation of facilitated the MCC Bowling Green in 1992. at Pinks, and e’s behaviour

ave to have breakfast there… I am Each year the PVE Trophy ber and come to the for the is awarded to Club the bowler e to an average hotel. FP who has made a distinct

Not the place it used to be. WR

www.mcc.co.ke contribution to the spirit of the Lawn Bowls at the economic reasonsSection for having Muthaiga Club.

There are only three things wrong with Pinks: 1. Service. 2. Service. 3. Service. DN

M ORE GENERALLY

A celebration of Tony Valentine’s life will be held in the Ballroom at Muthaiga Country Club on Wednesday 27th April 2022 at 3.30pm for 4 pm. All Members and friends are welcome.

Your German sausage has not seen Germany BUT IT WASN ’T ALL B AD… and the saurecraut [sic] was not cooked. It Christmas Thank you to the team for a wonderful Red tasted ok as I was veryevening hungry. PE Room dinner… It made for a special and

Draw Prizes

a great meal. DB

Winners of the Christmas Draw who have not yet collected their prizes,are Why is it that are never April– Junethere 2017 Muthaiga Country Club 3any ice-creams kindly requested to do so by the end of in the fridge? Also, never any low-fat milk. RH April 2022.

Any unclaimed prizes will be entered into the r breakfast, I do not agree with Not thewith place it used to be. WR Christmas Draw this year. The 2021justifies award went to Clare Jethwa (pictured Bowls Captain economy alone Gerry Cunningham) who is not only an excellent bowler, but a Prizes can be collected from the Front Desk every day. reakfast in the old restaurant in a loyal supporter of the Bowls Section whoThere bringsare enthusiasm and things wrong Forwith otherPinks: arrangements call Purity on 020-7229203 nment. RS only three camaraderie to social bowls and all Club competitions. 1. Service. 2. Service. 3. Service. DN not laid, multiple trips required, food in chafing dishes cold, s food finished, coffee

Bulletin Board

BUT IT WASN’T ALL B AD…

SQUASH The Squash community welcomes new members to join in their weekly social mix-in, every Wednesday from 4:30pm onwards.

www.mcc.co.ke

Thank you to the team for a wonderful Red SNOOKER GYMevening and Room dinner… It made for a special Snooker Club is offering For Fitness enthusiasts, Gym a great meal. DB

MASSAGE

Massages at the MCC Spa Snooker Coaching Drives Rates for 2022 have been are becoming increasingly every Friday & Saturday reduced by up to 30% with popular and Members are from 2-6pm at the Snooker an optimised “off-peak advised to book early to get Muthaiga Country Club 3 Room (opposite the April– June 2017 rate” (including weekends their desired slot. We hit a Ballroom garden). and public holidays). new record of 122 massages in March. April - June 2022 Muthaiga Country Club

balloting c ommittee forms with your candidate/s and ensure all the information is correct. 2. Candidates to be informed all enquiries on their membership to be through the proposer/ seconder and not to directly with the Secretariat. Young Members (18-29) transitioning to full members: Dear Members, Thank you to those who have kept an eye on the notice board and/or monthly newsletter regarding new membership applicants. A few requests and reminders on applications, as well as young members, short term and full membership. Applications: 1. In order to avoid any delays proposers please go through the contents of application

Young members are reminded to attend an introduction meeting with the Balloting Committee when invited before they turn 30.

(ii) A Short Term Member shall, at any time, during such 60 month period, be eligible for proposal for Full Membership in accordance with the Articles; (iii) on the expiration of such 60 month period, or upon election to Full Membership, the Short Term Membership shall cease and may not be renewed.

Short term membership: (a) Any person over 18 years of age who temporarily resides in Kenya (or Uganda or Tanzania) may be invited to become a Short Term Member PROVIDED ALWAYS THAT:

Temporary Membership (TM): a) Any person over the age of 18 years of age who does not ordinarily reside in Kenya at the time the Membership begins and who is proposed by a Member of not less than one year’s good standing and endorsed by a member of the Committee shall become a TM for a continuous period of 3 months.

(i) No Short Term Membership shall exceed a maximum period of 60 months;

(b) One cannot be a TM while applying for short term or full membership.

during the Covid crisis have borne fruit and the Club has returned to profitability and is generating decent cash flows. The outlook for the long-term financial sustainability of the Club is therefore very positive.

On the administration front, we have a large balance of unidentified credits and therefore remind Members to always indicate their account numbers in full, when making direct deposits in the Club’s bank accounts. And we request those Members who may have deposited money in the Club’s accounts but who have not informed us, to contact the Accounts office. We also encourage Members to minimise use of Cheques and to embrace electronic modes of payments, listed below.

For any clarifications on the above one can contact Diana the membership secretary. While we note a healthy number of young families joining there are no doubt many young potential members (18-29) known to us whose parents are not members and may not be aware they can apply on their own right. Both the joining fees (KShs. 92,576/-) and monthly subs (KShs. 1020/-) are extremely generous for this age category. Thank you and wishing you all a Happy Easter. Best wishes,

Kush Bhardwaj Chairman Balloting Committee

finance

Dear Members I hope you are all well and slowly getting back to a state of near normalcy. I once again thank you for your continued patronage and timely payment of your accounts, which has helped the Club meet its financial obligations. It is encouraging to report that with your support, the Club’s performance has remained resilient. The cost restructuring measures that we implemented 4

With the Covid crisis now hopefully over the worst, the focus of the Committee has shifted to optimising value for Members. We are exploring investments in new facilities, to enhance Members’ experience and finding opportunities to review prices downwards, where possible. You will have noticed that we already reduced prices in Pinks by up to 12 per cent since last July. We also continuously keep looking for innovative ways of growing revenue as well as opportunities that deliver cost efficiency.

Muthaiga Country Club April - June 2022

Direct deposits/transfers to Muthaiga Country Club Standard Chartered Bank accounts :– KES Account Number 0102018001301, USD Account Number 8702018001301

GBP Account Number 2802018001302 M-PESA -Business No. 902800. Please enter your Club's Membership Number when prompted for the Account Number. Online Payments - Visit our website at www.mcc.co.ke for more information. Members may obtain website log-on details by sending an email to web.admin@mcc.co.ke We continue to appeal to all Members, now as much as ever, to please come back and use your Club. In the meantime, please continue to stay safe and healthy! All the best,

Daniel Ndonye Chairman Finance & Strategy Committee www.mcc.co.ke

wines & mes sing

LET THE FUN BE GIN! MCC hosted a mini Gin Fest this dry season in the tropics, firstly an evening of Gin tasting with Master Gin Distiller Roger Jorgensen for Africa's first Gin, Procera....

PRK Gin Ambassador Felicity White is pictured here (front third from left) with MCC Members enjoying a selection from the newly introduced Malfy Gin range. And this is only the beginning, the spirit is out of the Djinn bottle –

Don’t miss World Gin Day on 11 June on the Centenary Lawn from 3.30pm.

Master Distiller for Procera - Africa’s first Gin - Roger Jorgensen is pictured here demonstrating how to pour a perfect Procera Gin during a Gin Tasting evening hosted by MCC. …And then Members enjoyed a Malfy Gin tasting evening hosted by PRK Gin Ambassador – Felicity White. Members had the opportunity to sample different flavours of the newly introduced Italian Gin including, Malfy Con Limone, Malfy Rosa and Malfy Originale.

World Malbec Day Master Class from the Celebrated Trapiché Vineyards of Argentina 22 APRIL AT PINKS FROM 6.30PM Malbec is a full-bodied and acidic, deep purple-red wine with juicy fruit flavours like plum, black cherry and raspberry.

Flavours in Malbec by Climate

Malbec is originally from the south-west of France, where it became common as a blending grape in Bordeaux wines. But due to the grapes’ poor resistance to weather and pests, it never surfaced as a top French variety. Instead, it found a new home in Mendoza, Argentina where a nostalgic French botanist planted it in 1868. Today, Argentina leads production of the grape with over 70 per cent of all the acres of Malbec in the world and Argentina has reinvigorated Malbec as one of the top 18 noble grapes. Now it grows in seven countries and continues to grow in popularity.

To celebrate World Malbec Day Wine Maker Sergio Casé, will host a Master Class where Members will be able to sample a selection of Malbec wines from the Trapiché Vineyards of Argentina.

www.mcc.co.ke

Don’t miss this delicious walk through the history and production of Argentinian Malbec wines with Wine Master Sergio Casé.

April - June 2022 Muthaiga Country Club

staff news

Throughout the whole of the Covid period of lockdowns and closures during the last two years, the MCC Staff have been working unflaggingly to keep the spirit of Muthaiga Club alive during the most unsettled time in its one-hundred year history. And in between times, facilitating the four unprecedented Covid Vaccination Days, the numerous functions, events and even weddings that have taken place, they have continued to serve the Members with cheerful optimism, professionalism and support throughout.

Muthaiga Country Club April - June 2022

www.mcc.co.ke

events

The Moipei Sisters Live

From left – Moipei triplets Marta, Maggie, Edita Camm, Alec Davies (sponsor) and Mary The brilliant Moipei Sisters, returned to Kenya from the US, where they have been studying music, over Christmas and New Year, and gave a sensational Live concert at MCC for the first time in five years. They performed to a more-than-full house - the bookings being so overwhelming that the concert was relocated outside so as to accommodate a few more guests, ending up with an ecstatic audience of over 100. Their programme of music reflects their recent US influence, and as always contained something for every taste. Every piece is rearranged by the trio to suit their performance, and it never fails to enhance its beauty in a distinctive, ‘Moipei’ way. A glorious, uplifting musical evening.

COLONIALISM A MUSICAL ORAL HISTORY PERFORMANCE The history of colonialism was given a new and original presentation by storyteller and children’s author Wangari Grace, together with fellow performer and musician Sven Kacirek.

SCAT DOGS SAVING CHEETAHS Cheetahs are found throughout Kenya in small populations but there may be fewer than 1,200 of them remaining in the wild. Trade in cheetahs is emerging as a leading threat to the wild cheetah population, making it essential to conserve them in their strongholds.

From the stance that colonialism is a global occurrence usually told through textbooks and explained by outsiders, Sven and Wangari told the story of colonialism through ordinary people’s own stories and experiences and set them to music. This unusual and enlightening performance, was enthusiastically received by a captivated audience.

Pictured above - Action for Cheetahs K-9 Conservation Dog Handlers - Antony Oyugi & Edwin Kimutai with one of the trained cheetah dogs - Tassi. Action for Cheetahs uses dogs trained to locate cheetah fecal samples as a part of a wide range of studies on cheetah poulations.

Wangari Grace (centre in yellow) and Sven Kacirek (far right) with enthusiastic supporters of their new artform after their recent Musical Oral History Performance at the Club. www.mcc.co.ke

The Action for Cheetahs team, led by Mary Wykstra, gave a demonstration at the Club of the dogs’ ability to locate this ‘black gold,’ aka cheetah poop, and gave a fascinating talk on their methods of non-invasive studies to conserve cheetahs in their strongholds.

April - June 2022 Muthaiga Country Club

events

“Africa’s Rock Art is the common heritage of all humanity” Nelson Mandela Africa has the largest number of examples of Rock Art on the planet - and also the largest number under threat. Hundreds of thousands of such works are spread across the continent, including the oldest scientifically dated Rock Art in the world, dating back 77,000 years, but they are being destroyed at an unprecedented rate by unregulated development, vandalism and theft. Most Rock Art is unprotected and many governments are either ignorant or disinterested in this heritage. A stunning photographic exhibition capturing some of the most striking examples of Africa’s remaining Rock Art by MCC Member David Coulson, founder

of the Trust for African Rock Art (TARA), was held at the Club recently to create more awareness of this extraordinarily rich yet fragile art form, and its contribution to our understanding of Africa’s past. The prints on show are now on sale to raise money to help TARA protect Africa’s Rock Art. Every sale will help protect Africa’s Rock Art legacy and work to stop more examples being destroyed. TARA is the only organisation working to try to save Rock Art across Africa. For more information go to https://trustfor-african-rocka-art.myshopify.com/

COMPETITION Question: What is the original name of this street and where

is it? And what is it called today?

Prize: The first correct entry that we receive will win dinner for

two with a bottle of House Wine in either Pinks or the Club Dining Room. Please send your answers to communications@mcc.co.ke Photos courtesy of David Bromham

Answer to our Dec 2021 - Feb 2022 Competition

DID YOU KNOW?

QUESTION: Who is this woman and what was she doing in Kenya?

The Johnsons spent time in northern Kenya by a lake they named ‘Paradise’, at Mount Marsabit. The film Simba: King of the Beasts (1928) was made with footage of these trips. In 1932 the Johnsons learned to fly and they flew the length of Africa getting classic aerial scenes of large herds of game moving across the plains of Africa.

ANSWER: Osa Johnson – on safari in Kenya filming with her husband Martin. WINNER: Adeel Haq

Martin and Osa Johnson were America adventurers and filmmakers, who in the early 20th century captured the American public's imagination through their films and books of adventure in exotic, faraway, unknown lands.

In January 1937 during a lecture tour of the States the Johnson’s flight bound for Las Vegas crashed in bad weather, killing Martin. Osa was severely injured but recovered and gave hundreds of lectures from a wheelchair including her observations of the lifestyles of the Maasai and other tribes. She died in New York City of a heart attack in 1953.

Muthaiga Country Club April - June 2022

www.mcc.co.ke

forthcoming events

HAPPY EASTER! Come and Enjoy a Fabulous Easter Weekend at the Club

16th &17th April 2022 On Saturday PINKS will host a Kiddies’ Easter Carnival with Entertainment for the Children with a Clown & Easter Bunny. There will also be an Easter Egg Hunt, Craft Tables, a Bouncy Castle and a delicious Lunch. On Easter Sunday Chef Macharia has arranged for a special Easter Buffet Lunch at PINKS for all Members and Friends.

6 April, Ballroom, 6.30pm. 10 April, Ngong Racecourse, 12 noon onwards. 17 April, PINKS Lawn, 12.30pm onwards. 17 April, PINKS & Poolside, 12 noon onwards. 21 April, Ballroom, 6pm. 22 April, Ballroom, 6pm. 22 April, PINKS, 6.30pm onwards. 27 April, Ballroom, 3.30pm 28 April, Garden Room, 4pm. 29 April, Popsy Bar, 5 – 7pm. 30 April, Ballroom, 4pm onwards.

MAY 2022

Speaker’s Evening – ‘Poland: Land of my Father’ by Rhodia Mann Book Launch - Presented by Hon. Justice Nzioki Mothers’ Day Lunch Special Opera Night – Carmen Tennis Tournament – Ladies vs Men Chef's Table - Hosted by Executive Chef Macharia Tennis Tournament – “Wilson Cup” Mixed Doubles World Chardonnay Day Club Night – Happy Hour (50% off all drinks) Wine Tasting Evening - Hosted by KWAL Wines Bowls Tournament – Club Trips

7 May, Ballroom, 11.30am. 5 May, Ballroom, 6.30pm 8 May, PINKS & Poolside, 12 noon. 12 May, Ballroom, 6.30pm. 15 May, Tennis Courts, 9am. 20 May, Main Kitchen, 6.30pm 21 May, Karen CC, 9am. 26 May, PINKS & Poolside, 7pm. 27 May, Popsy Bar, 5 – 7pm. 28 May, Yellow Room, 6.30pm onwards. 28 & 29 May, Bowling Greens, 9am.

Tennis Tournament – MCC “Roland Garros” Mixed Doubles 5 June, Tennis Courts, 9am. Film Night – Oscar Wilde 9 June, Ballroom, 6.30pm. World Gin Day 11 June, Centenary Lawn, 3pm onwards. Father’s Day Lunch Special 19 June, PINKS & Poolside, 12 noon. Club Night – Happy Hour (50% off all drinks) 24 June, Popsy Bar, 5 – 7pm. Bowls Tournament – Club Handicap Singles 25 & 26 June, Bowling Greens, 9am. Live Concert – Classical Jazz trio 30 June, Ballroom, 6.30pm. Squash Social Mix-in – every Wednesday at the Squash Courts from 4.30pm. Snooker Coaching – every Friday and Saturday in the Snooker Room, from 2 – 6pm.

www.mcc.co.ke

Dates and times of events were correct at the time of going to press. They may change post printing so please check with the Events Office when making your bookings.

APRIL 2022

Live Music Recital – “Le Cigne” Duo Race Day – The Kenya Derby Children’s Easter Carnival Easter Sunday Buffet Special Theatre Night – “Bookends” performed by Renegade Ventures Speaker’s Evening – Stingless Bee Curiosities with Dr Kathryn Krausa World Malbec Day Memorial Service – Tony Valentine Ballet Night – The Red Shoes Club Night – Happy Hour (50% off all drinks) Speaker’s Evening – KMS with Tove Hussein

JUNE 2022

Fo r t h c o m i ng E v e n t s D i a r y

April - June 2022 Muthaiga Country Club

the heritage collection

The Shaw & Hunter Trophy The Shaw & Hunter Trophy (the Professional Hunters’ ‘Oscar’) was awarded for the most outstanding game trophy taken by a client, and was the most prestigious annual accolade that could be earned by a member of the erstwhile East African Professional Hunters’ Association. It was competed for avidly. Made of hollow-cast Sterling silver, the Shaw & Hunter Trophy was donated to the East African Professional Hunters’ Association by Messrs Shaw and Hunter, Gunsmiths & Safari Oufitters of Nairobi (which after Independence became Kenya Bunduki and is still in existence today.)

“Early Italian Contributions to the Building of Modern Kenya” by Aldo Manos Aldo Manos recently launched his bi-lingual booklet highlighting the contribution made by Italian PoWs in WWII, to the building of modern Kenya. When the Italian army surrendered in Somalia in November 1941, 50,000 Italian soldiers were rounded up and transported to Kenya where they were put into Prisoner of War camps. Aldo’s book revives the memory of the Italian PoWs’ contribution to the building of modern Kenya, and demonstrates the great and varied abilities and skills, which have always distinguished the Italian people and the nation.

Shaw was the gunsmith, and he partnered with Hilda Hunter, the wife of ‘J.A.’ the famous, appropriately named Scottish Professional Hunter who arrived in Kenya (BEA) in 1902.

The PoWs can be credited for building chapels, schools, monuments, roads, bridges, the first brick kiln in Kenya, irrigation channels, dams, houses and and even for creating the first symphony orchestra in sub-Saharan Africa (using hand-made instruments), which still performs today.

The first PH to receive the Shaw & Hunter Trophy was Miles Turner in 1955 for a Lesser Kudu, and the last person to win it was Lionel Hartley for a Hartebeest in 1976, the last full season before Professional hunting closed in Kenya.

This is a delightful booklet that brings to life the character and skills of the indomitable Italian PoWs, undaunted by their imprisonment and celebrates the rich legacy they left behind.

The Shaw & Hunter Trophy is modeled on one of the most famous Professional Hunters - Syd Downey, of Ker & Downey fame - who was one of only two hunters to win the trophy twice - the other was Derek Dunn.

Syd Downey after winning the Shaw & Hunter Trophy that was modeled on him. In its 22 years, more than half the winners of the legendary trophy were MCC Members. The trophy was recently bequeathed to the Club by the late Margaret Downey, Syd’s only daughter, and can be seen in the Heritage display cabinet in the Main Reception. 10

Muthaiga Country Club April - June 2022

Aldo is pictured here with MCC Heritage Collection Chairman Tom Lawrence at thelaunch of his book “Early Italian Contributions to the Building of Modern Kenya”. Behind them is a wooden panel carved by an Italian Prisoner of War during his internment in WWII. It is copied from the drawing on a packet of Skipper cigarettes, which were popular at the time. www.mcc.co.ke

bowls

MCC V KENYA IRISH SOCIETY With 20 competitors we had two games of Trips and two of Pairs and the honours were equally divided, each side winning one game in each discipline. However, the shot difference was very much in MCC’s favour, so we retain the splendid trophy for another year. The winning Muthaiga teams were - Oliver Fowler, Yolanda

Anderson and Janet Pye and Essie Ndungu and Harvey Herr. The winners for KIS were Clare Jethwa, Hebron (who was granted Honorary Irish Citizenship for the day) and Mairead Healy, Maureen Burns and Alistair Campbell. Gail Langton and Mike Craig won the spider.

MCC vs KIS was generously sponsored by Diagio. The trophy and prizes were presented by The Ambassador for Ireland, Fionnuala Quinlan (second right).

CLUB 2-4-2 PAIRS For the Club 2-4-2 Pairs, sponsored by Gail and Eric Langton, we had a very good entry of 16 bowlers and the eight pairs were divided equally into two leagues, which then played 10-end games in Round-Robin fashion.

Winners of 2-4-2 Pairs (from left) Essie Ndungu, Gail Langton (sponsor), Ken Killian and Gerry Cunningham (Captain)

Fowler with runners up Maureen Burns and Yolanda Tavares.

The winners of League 1 were Gail and Patricia Killian, with runners up Essie Ndungu and Ken Killian.

In the final, Essie and Ken went into a strong lead early on leaving Maureen and Yolanda chasing the game throughout. The final finished after nine ends with Essie and Ken winning 15-4. Overall, it was a very competitive two days of bowls, which had some surprising results.

League 2 was won by the Captain Gerry Cunningham and Sheryl

The spider was won by Essie and Captain Gerry Cunningham.

CAPTAIN'S DAY BOWLS Captain's Day at the bowling green started with sherry and ended with whiskey, and somehow in between three excellent games of trips and one game of pairs were played.

The winning trip with the highest shot difference was Mike Craig (second), Essie Ndungu (skip), and Peter Brice (lead).

The runners-up were Clare Jethwa (second), Maureen Burns (skip), and Shirley Scroggie (lead).

Social Bowls is held on Tuesdays, Thursdays (3pm) and Sundays (9:30am) In keeping with tradition, whites are worn for Sunday Bowls. All Members are warmly invited to join the Bowling Club, it is open to all ages. New bowlers are mentored and included in events. Gerry Cunningham Bowls Captain www.mcc.co.ke

April - June 2022 Muthaiga Country Club

bow ls

The Willie Watson Invitational Trips

Competitors in the inaugural Willie Watson Invitational Trips.

The inaugural Willie Watson Invitational Trips for the Watson Trophy sponsored by Muthaiga Club, was held in recognition of more than 25 years of Willie’s loyal service to Lawn Bowls at the Club. This 2-wood trips competition attracted five Clubs and a total of 16 teams who were divided into four leagues, which played one another in round-robin style. The top four ranked teams were then placed in a knockout competition (semi-finals and finals) for the Trophy, Plate, Bowl and Basket. The winner of the first ever Watson Trophy was Karen A Andrew Jones (skip), David Salmon (second) and Beatrice Mburu (lead) - who beat Ruiru A (19-12). Willie Watson presented the Trophy.

Willie Watson with winners of Watson Trophy - Karen A (Andrew Jones, Beatrice Mburu, David Salmon) and Harvey Herr, Bowls Captain MCC.

The Plate was won by Muthaiga B (Essie Ndungu (skip), Alan Collis (second) and John Dryden (lead), who had to go to a 19th end to defeat Nairobi A (19-17) in a very exciting final. The Bowl was won by Nairobi B - Joseph Kagau (skip), Grace Njuguna (second) and Leila Gathoni (lead) - who beat Ruiru C (1814) in the final. The Basket was won by Ruiru B (20-18) who

defeated Mombasa A - Charles Mathenge (skip), Jackson Maina (second) and Aimee Umurungi (lead) in a closely contested final. The spider was won by Christina Andersen and John Porter. Muthaiga Club would like to thank everybody who supported the tournament and made it such a success. It was wonderful to see 48 bowlers on the Green. The Trophy was donated by the Watson family and the Bowls Section was delighted to welcome Sheena Watson, her husband John Dryden and her brother Andrew who all travelled long distances to join us on this historic occasion. Oliver Fowler paid tribute to Willie for his enormous contribution to Lawn Bowls at MCC and to both Willie and Jean for their support to Bowls at Limuru Club.

BOWLING CALENDAR OF EVENTS 28/29 May CLUB TRIPS 25/26 June CLUB HANDICAP SINGLES Watson Trophy 12

Muthaiga Country Club April - June 2022

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tennis Our monthly Competitions have continued and, although the 55+ Mixed Doubles event was abandoned due to a shortagge of participants (that can’t be right?) we had a big response for the Club’s “Aussie” Mixed doubles Tournament. Twenty-four players participated in three graded Pools with four teams representing Dingos, Echidnas, Emus and the Kangaroos! By playing on a Round-Robin basis throughout the morning and combining the three sets of results at the end of match play, the Kangaroos! won played by 1st Pair – Pamela Bitange & Alex Lemhberg, 2nd Pair Mathieu & Ornella and 3rd Pair David Percival & Noemie, with the Dingos, played by 1st Pair – Johnnie Ponsonby & Aida Nesbitt, 2nd Pair Rupert McLellan & Rachel Wootton and 3rd Pair Belinda & Lucy Walker, in hot pursuit. Congratulations to the Kangaroos! and to all players for making it a most enjoyable morning of social tennis. Disappointingly, the response to our Ladies’ and Men’s Singles was dismal with just three ladies and two men showing up. Nevertheless, Johnny Ponsonby and David Percival played two sets against each other whereas, the Ladies agreed to play in a mini Round-Robin session. One of the staff joined in to top up the group to an even number of players. With each player playing nine games per match, Aida Nesbitt came out over-all winner with 18 points and Rachel Wootton was Runner-Up with 14 pts. Despite the poor response, it was still a worthwhile and enjoyable morning’s tennis. For the last event of this quarter, we held our annual “Matata” Trophy Competition. This was a Mixed Doubles event but with one stipulation. Married couples and spouses had to partner each other – fortunately, there were no embarrassing eruptions throughout the morning, nor any divorces, much to my relief!

Happy couple Bitange & Pamela - winners of the Matata Trophy Despite the odd no-show for tournaments, members of our tennis community should be lauded for maintaining their superb enthusiasm for the game. This is clearly indicated in the number of chits signed by Members. For the past three months an average of 658 chits were collected each month. Finally, it was with great sadness to the Club and particularly the tennis community to learn of Chris Shaw’s untimely death. He was a long term, stalwart member of our tennis club and an enthusiastic, accomplished player, full of fun and a great friend to the Club. Our thoughts are with his family, brother Nigel and sister Tessa (McLellan) who are also committed members of the MCC tennis community. John Goodwin Tennis Captain

FORTHCOMING TOURNAMENTS SUNDAY 3RD APRIL Men’s & Ladies Doubles SUNDAY 15TH MAY A Challenge Match - Ladies vs Men Six pairs competed in a Round-Robin format with Bitange and Pamela winning the actual Trophy as being the best performing married couple. Another prize was presented to the best performing couple overall - and that went to Yan Welffens and Richard (one of our staff.)

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SATURDAY 21ST MAY “Wilson” Cup at Karen – Mixed Doubles (6 pairs) SUNDAY 5TH JUNE MCC’s “Roland Garros” – Mixed Doubles

April - June 2022 Muthaiga Country Club

A Life in the Day of

Luke Gent

Wildlife Camera Operator for “Serengeti” by John Downer Productions UK

Luke Gent has spent most of the last three years as one of a team of four camera operators capturing raw footage of animals in the wilderness to create Season 2 of “Serengeti,” the highly acclaimed wildlife ‘drama’ currently streaming on Discovery+, BBC iPlayer, Amazon Prime video, Apple TV and DStv Now. DVDs are also available through Amazon.

production team in the UK who very cleverly puts it together to create a dramatised Natural History programme, a kind of animal ‘soap opera’. The animals have names and stories and it’s our job in the field to make sure the Production team have all the right imagery to enable them to tell these dramatic and intimate tales. As the stories unfold, the producers tell us which animals and behaviour they want us to focus on, and we try to find and film it, which we may manage, but we may also capture something completely unexpected, which then steers the script in a completely different direction. It’s exciting because ultimately nature writes the script, we never know how the stories will evolve through filming the season. The main characters in the show include lions, cheetah, leopard, elephants, hyenas and baboons, but the other animals that populate and make the Serengeti so spectacular also feature, to bring together the drama.

How did you come to do this? Shaba and Shavu's pup

What does your work entail? Working within the Serengeti ecosystem, my job is to capture stunning footage of the many different species of wild animals and their interactions with each other. We try to get really original, intimate shots that have never been seen before using a range of groundbreaking camera technologies and innovative filming techniques (hidden cameras, log and rock cams and drones) to capture the animals up-close and personal, giving the audience a glimpse of the world through their eyes, which is a totally unique perspective. The raw film footage is sent off to our post14

Muthaiga Country Club April - June 2022

I got into photography at school and took it for A-levels. I really enjoyed photo editing and experimented with different software to enhance and manipulate photos in order to create quite surreal imagery - think Salvador Dali but with photographs! I am dyslexic and always found reading and writing challenging, so after graduating in Geography at Exeter University, I did some travelling which allowed me to pick up my camera again and I realised I prefer doing things visually and practically, so I followed my true passion and chose a career in film. I started with an Internship at the BBC Natural History Unit for a TV series called Earth from Space (where I found my degree in geography came in handy.) This was followed by a job with celebrity chef Kiran Jethwa and his production team ‘Quite

Bright Films’, which include human documentaries for C variety and helped me build opened up with my neighbo photographer and MCC Me who brought me onto the ‘S

Your typical day starts

My day starts at 5am. We set around looking for action in dawn, or if we are following to where we left off the prev packed breakfast and lunch, nothing happens – but it oft gets dropped for the camera forgotten lunch on the bonn the windscreen as we rush o

We spend the whole day out for it until sundown and the camp we are in. We eat supp and 10pm.

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What is your most memorable occasion in your career? There are so many memorable moments but it was an extraordinary privilege to watch and film a young cheetah family growing up. I also really enjoyed working closely with a troop of baboons. They are so expressive and funny, I found filming them very entertaining! It’s always exciting to catch rare sightings such as a pangolin and aardvark. I never thought I’d actually see them so it was very special to be able to capture them on film too. Filming some big bush fires in Serengeti was incredibly thrilling, colourful and dramatic– all sorts of mini dramas unfolded, the whole of nature was in the cast. We also had an amazing experience filming elephants crossing a river in spate – a heart-stopping drama played out in front of us – but you’ll have to watch Season 2 to see what happens!

What is the best part of your job?

What ambitions/future plans do you have for your work? I’d like to take my drone piloting to the next level, flying different drones in new locations, such as the Amazon or the Antarctic and keep pushing the boundaries by using state-of-the-art equipment.

I’d also like to get back into stills photography, experimenting with macro photography, timelapse and hyperlapse filming and capturing star trails with night photography. Get back to my surreal Daliesque images again! Who knows? Maybe put on an exhibition in the future.

I’m fortunate to work with some amazing people. The local guides with their knowledge of wildlife and bush lore is extraordinary and working with other more experienced camera operators is such a privilege – I’m always learning.

But ultimately, through my work I want to help address conservation and climate issues.

The early starts and the long hours in the car, just waiting can be exhausting. I have limited opportunity to exercise, which I really miss.

ed making some short CNN. This gave me great d up my skills. Then work our and friend, wildlife ember Warren Samuels, Serengeti’ team.

biking – I also try hanging out, catching up and partying with friends!

Every day is exciting because you never know what you might capture and how the stories will evolve – it’s a bit like fishing! It’s exhilarating when we witness and film something special - filming hunts and fights always gets the adrenalin going. I love using the drones – they offer such freedom and access with the angles and scopes.

What is the worst part of your job?

Hippo

Askari

What do you enjoy doing in your downtime after work? I have little time when we’re filming but I listen to a lot of Podcasts and music. During breaks between shoots I try and work out - kitesurfing and mountain

If you weren’t a wildlife camera operator, what would you like to do? It would have to be something adventurous - but I really want to do more to help people, animals and the planet.

And as a child, what did you want to grow up to be? Like most kids – athlete, actor, Rock Star! It was always changing, but I do remember being fascinated by insects, finding their micro world intriguing, and thinking I would like to make a programme on bugs.

s at…?

t off early and cruise n the perfect light of g something, we go back vious evening. We have a , which we try to eat hoping ften does and the sandwich a! Sometimes I’ve even net, which has flown on to off.

following action or looking en we return to the lodge or per and go to bed between 9

Aisha's Cubs

All photos taken by Luke Gent, © John Downer Productions Ltd: Serengeti II www.mcc.co.ke

April - June 2022 Muthaiga Country Club

st patrick’s day ball

St Patrick’s Day Ball @ MCC The St Patrick’s Day Ball hosted by MCC was a huge success and brought out almost 300 revelers to celebrate, not just Irish St Patrick’s Day, but also the lifting of Covid protocols. This was the first major event held at the Club after the lifting of facemasks and social distancing, and Members and friends of MCC and the Kenya Irish Society went all out to celebrate in good Irish style.

Muthaiga Country Club April - June 2022

A delighted Lilian Wood won the top Raffle prize of a Kenya Airways ticket to Amsterdam.

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fish bowl games night

April Fool’s Day Fish Bowl Games Night for Young Members April Fool’s Day Young Members gathered together at PINKS for a Fish Bowl Games Night where they had a wonderful evening socialising, dancing and playing Games. Photos by Isaac Biosse.

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April - June 2022 Muthaiga Country Club

members' ac hievements

GREENING A NAIROBI HIGHWAY City Trees for People and Nature in East Africa MCC Member Cathy Watson, who works at ICRAF (World Agroforestry), is appealing to Members to support her neighbourhood “Greening a Nairobi Highway” project. This is a community effort to re-green a stretch of the Redhill-Waiyaki Way Bypass, which after its completion, was left looking very carved up and raw.

Cathy at the start of her Highway Greening project in March 2021 (left) and with the same Meru Oak tree in March 2022. Now with the rains here, Cathy is asking Members to donate any plants and cuttings that they may have spare in their garden. Everything is welcome, especially mulch and manure, which is vital for improving the sub-soil that was exposed during the building of the road. Cathy’s team is on the Bypass every Saturday and can receive any mulch, manure or plants. Or you can simply leave your contribution on the right hand side at the top of Peponi Road just as it joins the roundabout on Redhill-Waiyaki Way Bypass.

The rains are coming! Donate plants to the Redhill-Waiyaki Link Road!

Cathy has planted over 40 different species of tree along her stretch of Bypass, which with two sides, slip roads and access roads and a roundabout, covers about 3 km. As well as beautifying the road, Cathy is making it pleasant for walkers with shade trees, grassed areas and flowers, creating a natural haven for flora and fauna. Already tree frogs and over 20 species of bird have been spotted, some birds already nesting in the trees. Numerous MCC Members and others have donated towards the greening. Cathy and her husband William Pike also fund it to help pay their ‘carbon debt’ for long distance flights. Any donations, Mpesa (0728-608 693) contributions, or volunteers to help with the maintenance of the green highway - especially litter collection and weeding - are most welcome. Just no invasive species please! For more information contact Cathy on c.watson@cgiar.org

We welcome aloes, hibiscus, salvia, agapanthus, bulbine, red hot pokers, cannas, grasses, sisal and any plant except invasives like prickly pear and lantana!

Compost and manure urgently needed too.

Saturdays

When: from am Where: At roundabout where Peponi Rd joins the link road Come and we will show you around!

Donate a plant or some mulch and help bring biodiversity and shade to the Highway. 18

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members' achievements

The Butterfly Trust assists anyone seeking that extra, unseen helping hand The Butterfly Trust was established in 2010 by Gordon Owles and Juliet Nightingale in memory of their mother Olwen. This private charitable Trust sources, trains and supports a strong network of carers from local communities to assist individuals and their families that are affected by short or long term, serious or debilitating illness, injury or surgery, by introducing Butterfly carers to help them keep their loved ones at home for as long as possible, surrounded by the natural care of family and friends.

Founder of the Butterfly Trust Juliet Nightingale

Butterfly carers are given basic training at the Nairobi Hospice and the Trust is now looking to offer more Curator of One Off Art Gallery & Artwork specialised and improved training including for advisor to the Butterfly Trust Carol Lees dementia, cancer, and frail care, to support families and other institutions around Kenya in the provision of help that they cannot offer. MCC recently hosted a Gala Dinner to raise funds for The Butterfly Trust. Together with a raffle and an auction of paintings by local artists, the Dinner, which was attended by MCC Members and friends of the Butterfly Trust, raised over 1.3 million shillings. Founding member of the Butterfly Trust Juliet Nightingale started with just £250 in 2010. Today the Trust has over 70 trained carers and is looking at setting up a coast branch. The funds raised at the MCC Dinner will go a long way to achieving that goal.

Artists whose paintings were auctioned at the Dinner Geoff Weeden & Sophie Walbeoffe

Butterfly Trustee & Event Organiser Diana Rossiter & 'Ninja' Auctioneer MCC Chairman Philip Coulson

Butterfly Trustees (from left) Diana Rossiter, Vivien Mather/Wallis & Andrea Kenneth www.mcc.co.ke

April - June 2022 Muthaiga Country Club

edita’s ballet and opera programme

“Le Cigne”

A Live performance by the German-Italian Duo Heike-Angela Moser (piano) and Angelica Faccani (violin) The German-Italian Duo “Le Cigne” was first scheduled to arrive around Easter 2020 to celebrate Beethoven’s 250th anniversary but was prevented by the COVID-19 travel ban. Two more attempts, in 2020 and 2021 were similarly thwarted. They have now rescheduled their flights for the fourth time and it seems very likely that their perseverance will finally be rewarded. Their programme of music will remain the same as originally chosen to celebrate

Beethoven and Clara Schuhmann whose centenary fell in 2019. Clara Schuhmann also happens to be a direct ancestor of Heike Angela. Much of their time in Kenya has been devoted to teaching at “Ghetto Classics” and preparing the young, talented violinist Lamech Otieno, to join them in this performance.

“Le Cygne” will be performing live on Thursday 6th April in the Ballroom at

“The Red Shoes” Based on the well- loved 1948 film “The Red Shoes”, this is Matthew Bourne’s wholly danced version. It is set in London and Monte Carlo during the late 1940s and early 1950s. The ballerina Victoria Page is talent-spotted by the ballet impresario Boris Lermontov, who is based in Monte Carlo. He commissions the composer Julian Craster to compose a ballet based on Hans Christian Andersen’s tale, “The Red Shoes.” Victoria takes the lead in the ballet, and she and Craster fall in love. Victoria must choose between her love and her career.

Matthew Bourne said “The image of the red shoes that, once put on, will not allow the wearer to stop dancing has long been a potent one for creative minds. My challenge has been to capture some of that surreal, sensuous quality of film within the more natural live theatre.”

“The Red Shoes” Ballet will be screened on Thursday 28th April in the Garden Room at 11.am

“Carmen” Carmen has been the most popular Opera in the world for over a century. This Carmen comes in the form of a feature film, which brings the drama and pathos of the tragedy much nearer. Filmed on location in Andalusia and Seville has resulted in some spectacular photography. Although the greatest tenor – a young Placido Domingo and baritone, Ruggero Raimondi take up the two main male roles, Julia Migenes’ gamine-like Carmen is the chief glory of this production.

Her strutting, her dark, messy hair and her sexual availability attracts Don José and drives him crazy. Carmen, who is true to her instincts, represents everything he tries to repress. After he has deserted the Army and lost the respectability that meant everything to him, he feels she owes him lifelong devotion. Carmen’s fatal mistake was in thinking she could take him as a lover on her own terms.

“Carmen” will be screened on Thursday 12 May in the Ballroom at 6.30pm.

“Oscar Wilde” - Feature Film This biographical film based on the life of one of the most intelligent, witty, controversial characters in British history, leaves me grasping for words to do it justice. I leave this task to the critics…

The San Francisco Examiner said the film “benefits from its lush period costumes and settings but gains even more from an accomplished cast of British film and stage actors. Stephen Fry slips right under the skin of the title character and presents a multidimensional portrait of a complex man.”

The New York Times wrote, “Playing the large dandyish writer with obvious gusto, Stephen Fry looks uncannily like Wilde and presents an edgy mixture of superciliousness and vulnerability.”

“Oscar Wilde” will be screened in the Ballroom on Thursday 9th June at 6.30pm.

Muthaiga Country Club April - June 2022

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book reviews THE GUINNESS GIRLS A HINT OF SCANDAL by Emily Hourican I have said it before, and make no apologies for stressing the point again, but when I read a book such as ‘The Guinness Girls’, it is difficult to find appropriate adjectives to describe it – the usual ones are all worn out and over-used, and I have just ‘discovered’ another description that frequently appears – ‘a page-turner’ - what on earth would one do with a book, but ‘turn the pages?’. Yes, I know what they mean but…. However, back to ‘The Guinness Girls’, classified as a novel, Hourican’s book could almost be a biography. The three daughters of that wellknown family are ‘real’ people. Aileen, Maureen and Oonagh, all vastly different in character, come to life under Hourican’s pen, as do the strange and incredibly different lives they led. It didn’t necessarily bring any of them what they had hoped for, or anticipated, which rather proves the cliché that money isn’t everything. The 1920s, and to a certain extent the 1930s, in all their cynicism and break-away from the previously ‘conventional’ high society lifestyle, become alive through a skillful depiction of that period of racy living both in Dublin and London. So many fascinating and colourful characters appear alongside these beautiful Guinness girls – the Mitfords, for instance, another even more famous family, and friends of the Guinnesses. Emily Hourican is herself an Irish journalist who has already written five novels. This one must surely be her best to date. To conclude and use those already mentioned two much over-used adjectives, it’s brilliant AND a page-turner!

A DAUNTING JOURNEY by Jeremiah Gitau Kiereini Here is one of the most fascinating autobiographies I have read in a long time. Possibly it is of added interest to me personally since its time span coincides approximately with my own arrival in Kenya and the years spent here since. I am sure that it will remain a valuable record of one man’s very fair assessment not only of his own life, but also of what was taking place around him, especially at an extremely significant time in Kenya’s history. I hope very much that his authorship will inspire more Kenyans to come forward with their own life stories ‘before it is too late’. Kenya has its own history and the sooner those who have a story to tell get on with recording them, the richer the country’s past and futures will become. Kiereini’s days at the Alliance Boys’ High School were happy, as they appear to have been for most of the pupils who went there. From there he went on to Uganda’s Makerere University. He served in five consecutive governments, inclusive of heading the Civil Service. Although essentially very much a Kikuyu himself, he never seemed to let tribalism dominate him or his thinking. His own personal life was not without it own tragedies, especially as he was very much a ‘family man’, and his choice of his book’s title is indeed and an apt one. www.mcc.co.ke

“LABOUR LAW & INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS IN KENYA” by Justice Nzioki wa Makau MCC Member Judge Nzioki wa Makau is the author of the recently published book, “Labour Law & Industrial Relations in Kenya.” Written in simple, reader-friendly language, “Labour Law & Industrial Relations in Kenya” offers a comprehensive overview of the current labour laws, as well as the historical perspectives of labour relations and employment law in Kenya, with references to noteworthy case studies. With many years of experience as Judge of the Employment and Labour Relations Court in Kenya and with meticulous research, Judge Nzioki wa Makau has written a handy reference book which offers invaluable, up-to-date advice on all aspects of Kenya’s labour laws, with ideas and pointers for where to go for guidance. The last edition of Kenya’s labour laws was published back in the 1980s and Judge Nzioki wa Makau has written this definitive up-date specifically for the purpose of educating and enlightening in this diverse field of law and to assist today’s lawyers, court practitioners, employers and employees, to guide and assist them through the complexities of the current labour laws in Kenya. “Sharing information is critical. This is how we grow and develop our understanding of the Law. With an overview of the current labour laws and by highlighting historical cases, I hope my book will help those clients who access the courts, with suggestions and ideas for how best and where, to seek legal assistance.” “Labour Law & Industrial Relations in Kenya” addresses all major areas of labour relations and employment law in sufficient detail to enable readers to attain a broad grasp of the law. This is a must-have reference book for anyone wrangling with Kenya’s labour laws. Copies of “Labour Law & Industrial Relations in Kenya” can be ordered through LabourLawBook@gmail.com for Ksh 3,550/-, or call 0711-677883. Delivery is free within CBD with collection points at Supreme Court and Milimani Commercial Law Courts, once the order is placed. Judge Nzioki wa Makau will be giving a talk about Kenya’s labour laws at MCC and signing copies of his book, on 5th May in the Ballroom from 6.30pm. April - June 2022 Muthaiga Country Club

members’ honours

Fifty Golden Years of the Africa Concours d’Elegance MCC Member and Founder the Africa Concours D’Elegance Bob Dewar, has been awarded the prestigious International Automobile Federation (FIA) Founding Members’ Club Heritage Cup. The Concours d’Elegance was started by the Alfa Romeo Owners Club (Kenya) in 1970 and has taken place annually ever since, with just one interruption caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. From small beginnings the Concours has grown in status and reputation and today attracts entries from all over the world. Held at the Nairobi Racecourse, the highlight of the event is the judging of 70 classic and vintage cars, under regulations approved by the Kenya Motor Sport Federation. The Concours has generated tremendous interest in classic and vintage cars in East Africa and MCC Members Paul Chemn’gorem, Peter Wanday, Roger Tanner, Alec and Edward Davis, Gayling May and Roger Steadman, between them regularly exhibit a glorious stable of classics at the show.

Bob Dewar (second left) Founder of the Concours d’Elegance is pictured here at a glittering Gala Dinner in Paris last December, receiving the FIA Founding Members’ Club Heritage Cup, at the International Automobile Federation (FIA) Awards. For the occasion Bob wore a gold bow tie to signify the 50th Anniversary of the Africa Concours d’Elegance. Each year the FIA recognises an outstanding contribution to the classic and vintage car movement by awarding the Founding Members Heritage Cup. Having played a leading role as Event Director since the Concours first began in 1970, Bob Dewar received the 2021 award at a glittering Gala Dinner hosted by the FIA in Paris. This was the first time an African country has been honoured with the Heritage Cup. Bob Dewar Event Director of the Africa Concours d’Elegance. Winner of the FIA Founding Member’s Club Heritage Cup

“

I am delighted to have been awarded the “FIA Founding Member’s Club Heritage Cup. This is a big moment for Motor Sports in Kenya, and the timing is perfect, coming as it does in the Golden Jubilee year of the Concours. Second only to the Safari Rally as the longest-standing annual event in the Motor Sport Calendar, the Concours winning the award now, in its 50th year, is a wonderful honour and so important to the event. I encourage more Kenyans to bring out old their vintage motors to sustain this legacy. 22

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clas sic car show

MCC CLASSIC CAR SHOW 2022 MCC hosted another spectacular Classic Car Show with 24 beautiful exhibits. This was a glorious foretaste of the Golden Jubilee of the Africa Concours d’Elegance, which will take place later this year at Ngong Racecourse.

Event Director of the Concours since it began in 1970, Bob Dewar, proudly displayed the prestigious International Automobile Federation (FIA) Founding Members’ Club Heritage Cup, which he was awarded for his outstanding contribution to the Classic & Vintage car movement in East Africa. Kenya is the first African country to earn this coveted trophy.

Bob Dewar pictured here at the MCC Classic Car Show, with MCC Member Mike Barker and the (FIA) Founding Members’ Club Heritage Cup. www.mcc.co.ke

April - June 2022 Muthaiga Country Club

bird quiz

Bird Quiz Twelve birds, that on the face of it, have little in common. Some lateral thinking should determine a connection. Name the birds and determine what links them. Rearrange them in a logical order based on the connection. 1

And my question is… Why did I not include this bird?

Answers on Page 29 24

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er of

hatches & matches fo re

Robert Anderson & Lottie Rowe Piers Lorenzo Stewart Pacheco-Vetch

fo re

Born on 15th October 2020 in Somerset, England. To Liana (née Vetch) and Alberto Pacheco of Roslyn, Nairobi. First grandchild to June and the late Stewart Vetch of Nairobi, Kenya.

Matthew Evans & Karen Darnborough Matthew Evans, youngest son of Martin and Vanessa (Nessie) Evans of Olmaisor Farm, Likipia, married Karen Darnborough, eldest daughter of David, and Suki Darnborough, of Watamu and Nairobi. The wedding was held on 2nd March 2021 at Sheria House, Nairobi, and baby Flynn Martin Evans was born on 3rd March 2021 (two weeks early.) He is the third grandchild to Martin and Nessie Evans and second grandchild to David and Suki Darnborough.

Robert Anderson, eldest son of Jock and Sue Anderson of Nairobi, married Lottie Rowe, youngest daughter of Simon and Lucinda Rowe of Watamu. The wedding was held on 18th December 2021, at Karamaini Estate in Thika, Kenya.

William Smyth-Osbourne & Sally Fernandes

William Smyth-Osbourne, second son of Charles and Joanna er of Smyth-Osbourne, of Sulgrave, Northamptonshire, UK, married Sally Fernandes, oldest daughter of Kiki and Netty Fernandes of Nanyuki, Kenya The wedding was held on the 8th January 2022, in the Fernandes’ garden at Kangaita, near Nanyuki.

All newly-weds who send in their wedding photo for publication will be offered a romantic dinner for two with a bottle of House wine, either at Pinks or in the Club Dining Room. Send your photos and details to secretariat@mcc.co.ke and please send high-resolution images.

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April - June 2022 Muthaiga Country Club

obituaries

Philip Rea Hechle Philip was born in Somerset, England. He attended The Manor House School in Sussex, and Repton School in Derbyshire. In 1956, during his two years of National Service in the British Army, he was seconded to the 7th Battalion, the King’s African Rifles, who were stationed in Nanyuki. At the age of 19, never having been out of England, he was made a platoon commander in the latter stages of the Emergency. Back in England at the end of his National Service, Philip met “the best thing that ever happened to me … Ros”. He returned to Kenya in 1958 with Kettles-Roy & Tysons and continued with them when they were taken over by the Marshalls Group in 1963. He remained with Marshalls for the next 25 years, becoming Company Sales Director. After a whirlwind romance (that lasted eight years!) Philip and Ros were married in 1965 and their sons Myles and Richard (Roo) arrived in 1966 and 1969. Philip became involved with rallying early on, co-driving for some of the leading drivers in the Ford and Peugeot works teams. He competed in the East Africa Safari Rally 14 times and when he retired from active competitions he became the local team coordinator for Peugeot until 1986.

Joseph Gilbert Kibe Joe was a devoted husband to Monica Kibe, father to Gilbert and Josephine Macharia, Margaret Kibe and Victor and Grace Mbugua. He had seven much-loved grandchildren and one great-grandson, who were God’s greatest gifts to Joe. He knew he had arrived and that his job was done. Joe Kibe’s enduring hobby was reading. He was a voracious reader of all types of books and had extensive libraries in his office and houses. He was also passionate about environmental matters and always sought to encourage the planting of trees, preservation of wetlands and wildlife conservation. For leisure, he enjoyed a round of golf in several of his clubs and intellectual discussions with his many friends. Joe’s most special quality, that many will remember him for, was his easy ability to make genuine friends across a wide divide of race, ethnicity, age, and gender. He came across as genuine and caring and always looking for the positive side of things. One of his last pet projects was the penning of his memoirs ‘Seizing The First Opportunity’, which was 95 percent complete at the time of his passing. He took immense pleasure in recalling and relating the moments and events of his life. In his book he delves into his childhood days during colonialism, through the Mau Mau struggle where he lost his father. He also traces the journey of his academic record 26

Muthaiga Country Club April - June 2022

November 1936 - November 2021 In 1986, Philip was recruited by National Industrial Credit as General Manager and Assistant Managing Director. He retired from NIC at the end of 1999, having been appointed to the Board of Directors and having made many long-term friends and contacts along the way. One could never go out for supper with Philip without someone he had helped to set up a business coming over to shake his hand and have a chat. Philip’s involvement in conservation began in 1988 with the formation of the Rhino Ark Charitable Trust. He was a founder member of the Rhino Charge Committee and was actively involved in the running of the Charge from its inception until 2014, winning that year’s Spirit of the Charge for his dedication. Philip loved the bush and, following his retirement from full-time employment, he became a freelance Safari Guide, passing his Gold level KPSGA exams at the age of 74, making him the oldest Gold Award holder, and one of only three in the country at the time. As an avid birdwatcher, amateur sailor, and night-sky and music enthusiast, he was always fascinating company. Philip was devoted to his sons and his door was always open to their friends. ‘Gramps’ or ‘Grand-Pop-Pip’ was a fabulous grandfather to Jack, Chloe, Emma, William and Gilly, and fatherin-law to Jo. As one of the kindest and gentlest of gentlemen he had many loyal and loving friends all around the world, but it was to Ros that he was the biggest rock. Philip was a Member of MCC for 49 years.

May 1935 – December 2021 until his acceptance into Makerere University. He fondly captures his years as a diligent Civil Servant under Mzee Jomo Kenyatta and the meteoric rise that had him appointed Permanent Secretary at the age of thirtythree. His unceremonious and unwarranted sacking from government in 1979, he felt was a blessing in disguise, as he found his true calling in business. His last flagship project was the gated community “Bahati Ridge” in Thika. To him everybody should strive to write memoirs as a way of motivating others and adding to our historical records. “Because we are mortal, every talent, skill, ability we possess, every thought and feeling we ever have, every beautiful sight we ever see, every material possession we ever own, will ultimately be lost…unless we share it!” – Inspired by the Book of Matthew. Joe was a Member of MCC for 26 years, he will be sadly missed by his many friends and fellow Members. www.mcc.co.ke

obituaries

June 1949 - October 2021

Surinder Kapila Born and brought up in Nairobi, Surinder studied in Bombay and obtained a BA in Economics and Political Science, a Diploma in Journalism and an LLB in Public and Private International Law. At the Kenya School of Law she met Dinesh and they later married and remained best friends and equals for the next 46 years. Starting her career as an advocate at D.V. Kapila & Company, Surinder moved to KCB to set up its legal department, followed by Bank of America to fulfil a similar ambit as well as assisting in its acquisition by CBA. She moved to USAID as the Regional Legal Advisor for East and Central Africa where, amongst other things, she negotiated with regional governments to enable compliance for Millennium Challenge Funds and Development Credit Authority guarantees and worked on the establishment of the Court of Justice for COMESA. She was also an adviser to ICRAF and ICRISAT. As an original founder member of its Kenyan chapter, Surinder was active in the International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA). She served as its permanent representative to the Economic Commission for Africa, UNEP and UNDP and was appointed president of FIDA worldwide in 1996. Having always advocated for gender equality to be enshrined in Kenyan law, Surinder was appointed to the Attorney General’s Task Force to review the laws, practices and customs impacting women’s rights – the recommendations resulted in the fundamental equalities now enjoyed in Kenya, including the criminalisation of domestic violence against women, their right to own property and to access loans. She also set up a free clinic advising women on matters ranging from child custody to access to credit facilities and starting their own businesses. Surinder was a recipient of the Superior Honour Award from USAID for her assistance to the US Embassy after the

Surinder had a zest for life, loved the finer things and had a fabulous sense of adventure. She was always motivated to improve, not only herself but those around her, and believed in integrity and excellence. She espoused the empowerment of education and never stopped learning. She attended courses in the US dealing with the impact of aid on development and in Israel relating to the creation of growth through enterprise and innovation. At the age of 65 she completed an Executive MBA in International Development and Leadership; at the age of 70 she attained accreditation as a Certified Professional Mediator and joined the International Institute of Mediators. Surinder was diagnosed with advanced pancreatic cancer in September 2020. She fought her last battle in the same way as she approached her life - with purpose, poise, dignity, and above all, a sense of humour. Dinesh and her children Shalini, Rishi, Varun and Jolie, and her grandchildren, Shaanya, Aryana, Elani and Emile, were with her throughout. She was an inspiration to so many and is sadly missed.

May 1939 - December 2021

Jacqui Mason Music and musical shows were Jacqui’s great love. She joined Nairobi Music Society as soon as she arrived in Kenya and was soon elected on to the committee and was later Chairman for several years. She served as Chairman of the Inner Wheel of Nairobi for spouses of Rotarians, and also in the East Africa Women’s League. She had a great flair for acting and performing, and after appearing in several Nairobi City Players shows at the National Theatre and others at the Norfolk Hotel and Braeburn Theatre, she took various shows to locations in Kenya including private houses and upcountry camps. Many of the shows were popular Murder Mystery dinner plays written by her and performed by a group of enthusiastic amateurs for local charities. www.mcc.co.ke

1998 bombing, and the Evelyn Mungai Foundation’s Distinguished Women Leadership Award. She served on the boards of several institutions, including EABS and Ecobank Kenya, and chaired the board of Stanlib Kenya. She was a governor of Capital Club Kenya and a trustee of the Beth Mugo Cancer Foundation, as well as a keen and active Member of Muthaiga Country Club for 18 years and Chaine Des Rotisseurs.

From 2000 onwards she wrote and produced at least one show a year for Muthaiga Club, usually formal dress dinner theatre events. Most were musicals such as ‘Bless ‘Em All’, ‘An Evening with Ivor Novello’, ‘Dickensian Delights’, ‘An Evening at the Music Hall’, ‘Thanks for the Memory’ and ‘April in Paris’. She also produced for her friend Jenny Dunnet a series of plays including ‘My brilliant Divorce’ and ‘Under Milk Wood’. She returned to live in England with her husband Robin to be near their large family of six children, 12 grandchildren (and partners) and one great grandchild to date. She played an active part in the church and village life of Stuntney, near Ely, up until her death. She was diagnosed with terminal cancer in early 2021, and notwithstanding, almost immediately set about planning and writing her own funeral and also her ‘Celebration of Life’ to be performed later this year. Jacqui, who died in Cambridge, England, was a loyal and supportive Member of the Club for 29 years. April - June 2022 Muthaiga Country Club

obituaries

February 1920 - October 2021

John “Steve” Stephenson The Kenya Regiment’s last WWII veteran John “Steve” Stephenson was born in a mud hut in 1920 to Canadian missionary parents who had trekked inland from the East African coast to set up mission stations in the remote Ukambani region. A founding pupil at the Rift Valley Academy, he enlisted into the Kenya Regiment as soldier No. 663 when war broke out. He was posted to Somalia where he served five years in the burning rock and desert of the Horn of Africa, trekking thousands of miles with camels, keeping the peace among warring clans and looking out for Japanese submarines that never came. Several fellow officers went mad or killed themselves in the extreme conditions and loneliness of that peculiar campaign, but the young Lieutenant Steve Stevenson, although a gentle and sensitive person, had a will, which nothing could break. The Somalis admired him – he was the only foreigner known to outlast them in their own geographical hell. By nature a loner and always something of an outsider amongst his very British, settler-type fellow officers, Stephenson was nonetheless immensely proud to take a company of Askaris to the victory parade in London and meet Princess Elizabeth, who would much later send congratulations on his 100th birthday. Noted for his love of remote postings, fluency in Swahili and dedication to duty, he was ideally suited, after the war, to join the Tanganyika Administrative Service where he served with distinction, becoming the last District Commissioner of Masailand at Independence. Those experiences were to set Stephenson up for his greatest legacy, as a pioneering conservationist who made a lasting contribution to the preservation of East Africa’s magnificent wildlife. In 1963 he joined Tanzania’s fledgling National Parks Department, learned to fly a small plane and set off for the south where, during ten years as Chief Park Warden Southern

Tanzania he set up Ruaha, Mikumi, Gombe and Katavi National Parks, all of which still flourish some 50 years on. Stephenson’s role necessitated such diverse skills as bush flying, leading antipoaching patrols, road building, legislating, nurturing community relations, entertaining a string of VIPs, planning for hotels and introducing tourism. Somehow, he also built a home in the bush for his family. His final role was to manage the Serengeti National Park, but he said his greatest satisfaction came from the nurturing and mentoring of Tanzanian wardens who later took over the National Parks. After moving to Ethiopia as wildlife adviser to the government, after Emperor Haile Selassie had been toppled and assassinated, Stephenson was later persuaded by scientist friends to join them as administrator on a large UN project studying desertification across Northern Kenya. By now in his 60s, Stephenson’s job was to keep the show on the road, using his plane and knowledge of how to motivate and care for people working in remote, harsh conditions. He was delighted to be back amongst the nomadic tribes, sleeping under the wing of his plane and bumping into his old friend the explorer Wilfred Thesiger, who lived in the area and with whom he had much in common. Courteous to all, firm but fair, an inspiration to many and never more at home than in the bush among nomadic people, Stephenson enjoyed a long retirement in Dorset. But Africa called him back, and he chose to end his days in Nairobi, Kenya. Grandchildren never tired of impossibly exotic tales about hunting man-eating leopards or wild dervishes. Ever curious, he travelled the world with his second wife Yvonne, and was still consulting on conservation projects in his late seventies, patiently learning how to use a laptop, wired up to his Land Rover battery, to write up reports. He died aged almost 102. Having lost his daughter in 2001, he is survived by Yvonne, four sons and multiple grandchildren and great grandchildren. Soldier, conservationist, developer of modern Africa and witness to a bygone era, he was the last surviving WWII veteran of the Kenya Regiment. John Steve Stephenson became a Member of MCC in 2010 at the age of 90.

DEATHS

The Club regrets to announce the deaths of the following Members EDWIN BRISTOW on 1 October 2021 NUSRAT MAULADAD on 30 October 2021 JACQUI MASON on 29 December 2021 ANDREW LINDSAY on 30 December 2021 RICHARD WOODALL on 1 January 2022 CHARLES NJONJO on 2 January 2022

PARMINDAR LOTAY on 2 February 2022 EAMON MULLAN on 21 February 2022 BRUCE HOBSON on 7 March 2022 TONY VALENTINE on 11 March 2022 CHRISTOPHER SHAW on 20 March 2022

If anyone would like to publish an obituary for a Member who has died recently, please send a tribute and photograph of the deceased to the secretariat@mcc.co.ke 28

Muthaiga Country Club April - June 2022

www.mcc.co.ke

candidates being considered for membership CANDIDATES BEING CONSIDERED FOR MEMBERSHIP 1ST MARCH TO 30TH APRIL 2022

CANDIDATES BEING CONSIDERED FOR MEMBERSHIP 1ST APRIL TO 31ST MAY 2022

Proposer

Candidate

The Muthaiga Country Club Magazine April - June 2022

Articles inside

Classic Car Show

Members' Honours

Hatches & Matches

Library Book Reviews

Opera & Ballet

Butterfly Trust Dinner

Members' Achievements

Young Members' Fish Bowl Games Night

A Life in the Day of Luke Gent

Inaugural Willie Watson Bowls Invitational

St. Patrick's Day Ball

Muthaiga Sports Round-Up

Events

Staff News

Wines & Messing

Heritage Collection

Membership Matters

Letter from the Chairman

Letter from the Secretary

Balloting & Finance Reports