The apple never falls far from the tree is a statement that rings true when it comes to Charles Njonjo's first-born daughter, Wairimu Njonjo.
Just like her father, Ms Wairumu -known as Nimo by her close friends and family, chose to pursue a career in law.
She went on to practice criminal law at the London bar for several years, however, after five successful years, she decided to abandon her career in 2004, when she relocated back to Kenya and took up marine conservation.
She has since turned into an enthusiastic diver and a fully qualified Professional Association of Diving Instructor (PADI) member- a title she attained after completing a performance-based diver training program.
The masters of laws graduate splits her time between running her dive base, providing diving consultation and serving as a trustee of Tumaini Children’s Home - a home established to provide treatment and accommodation for children suffering from HIV & AIDS.
She is also part of the East African Whale Shark Trust, an organization based in Diani, Mombasa, whose aim is to raise awareness so that the level of protection afforded to whale sharks is increased.
The trust was founded by her husband, Volker Bassen, (a Swedish entrepreneur and philanthropist), who is also extremely passionate about environmental conservation projects.
The two walked down the aisle in a closed-door ceremony at the All -Saints Cathedral, Nairobi on October 10, 2009.
Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga and his wife, Ida, were the only government officials who attended the ceremony.
Interestingly, her father also turned to environmental conservation after he stopped practising law, having also served as the Kenya Wildlife Service chairman, a post he was appointed to back on July 9, 1998.
The former attorney general has spoken on his love for conserving the environment and elephants in particular.
"I believe in the conservation of elephants. I believe we all have to save these animals for future generations," Njonjo once stated during an interview with Daily Nation back in 2015.
Wairumu's father turned 100 years on January 23, 2020, and to commemorate this remarkable milestone, the centenarian chose to celebrate it in the company of the endangered mountain gorillas in the jungles of Mt Mgahinga Gorilla National Park located in South Western, Uganda.
Njonjo took the 'once in a lifetime trip' with his family, and was later awarded a certificate for his efforts.
