Kenya's founding father, Mzee Jomo Kenyatta, never gave a personal donation of more than Ksh3,000.
A piece published on Daily Nation reported that Jomo was afraid of being seen as an enemy by those who did not contribute. Perhaps this explains why he never personally presided over any fundraiser.
At one time, his nephew Ngengi Muigai took Ksh100,000 for Jomo to present during a fundraiser for the construction of what is today the main campus of Jomo Kenyatta University of Technology (JKUAT).
According to the publication, Ngengi had raised the money from Jomo's friends and he put it in a briefcase and took it to his uncle who was at State House in Mombasa.
Jomo reportedly exclaimed when his nephew showed him the money that he had collected.
He asked him, “Young man, which bank have you robbed?”
Ngengi then informed his uncle that he had collected the money from his friends for him to present at the charity event.
Jomo refused to touch the money and instructed him to hand it to Mama Ngina who would represent him at the fundraiser.
“If I go there and say this is money from my friends, how will those who have not given you donations take it? Will they see me as their enemy?
“You will give the money to Mama Ngina. She is the one to represent me at the fundraiser and will say the money is from herself and her friends. Let people figure out who her friends are," he stated.
He then removed an envelope from his pocket and counted 30 Ksh100 notes which he handed to Ngengi. He asked him to add it to what he had in the briefcase.
According to Ngengi, the Ksh3,000 was the largest personal donation that Jomo ever gave.
