A family in Kirinyaga County celebrated the birthday of their matriarch, Lucia Wambura Wang'ombe, on Saturday who turned 112 years old this year.

Speaking to the press, Wang'ombe's daughter revealed that her mother is a cancer survivor after being diagnosed with the disease at the age of 104 years.

She explained that the family was elated to enjoy the octogenarian's milestone. The matriarch looked physically energetic at the event where she partook in cake cutting. 

"We are happy today to celebrate the birthday of our mother, Lucia Wambura Wang'ombe. She was born in 1912 and she is now 112 years old.

"Our happiness is that she has lived with us, the children, to this minute and she is a cancer survivor," she revealed.

She further noted that immediately after the family was informed of the diagnosis, the relatives admitted the grandmother at Kenyatta National Hospital for treatment.

The matriarch was later transferred to MP Shah where every treatment round set back the family back Ksh15,000, gobbling a total of Ksh150,000 for 10 sessions

"In 2015, she was diagnosed with cancer. We took her to Kenyatta National Hospital but it took long and we transferred her to MP Shah Cancer Center," she added.

"We took her through 10 treatment sessions. Each session was roughly Ksh15,000. She finished the treatment and she was cured. She has been living well since then."

Lucia is among a handful of Kenyans who lived beyond their 100th birthday and according to another octogenarian, there are secrets to living longer.

Julius Wanyondu Gatonga, who passed away in 2021 aged 137 years, told the press in 2020 that he lived longer due to God's favour and adhering to a strict diet of indigenous foods.

Some of the indigenous foods the family indulged in included bananas and potatoes.

"He has been eating indigenous foods, not the food people normally eat like rice with his diet mostly having bananas and potatoes.

"He has always advised us to eat like him so as to live till his age," explained Wanyondu's grandson, Francis Gitonga, at the time.

Youth were also warned against taking illicit brew if they expected to live longer.