Kenya boasts a number of brave and remarkable women leaders and in this segment, The Statesman Digital looks at the lifetime achievements of Elizabeth Muthoka Wanyoike, known to many as Lizzie Wanyoike.

She was a businesswoman, educator, entrepreneur and philanthropist. She is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of the Nairobi Institute of Business Studies (NIBS).

Throughout the course of her life, Ms Wanyoike has been through a lot of challenges, persevered, and overcame them to become a leader in the industry.

She rose from a humble teacher earning Ksh961 per month, to establish herself as an epitome of success and role model to all the young girls, women and society alike.

File image of Lizzie Wanyoike. |Photo| Courtesy|

Ms Wanyoike was born in the 1950s in Murang’a County to a Village chief (father and a peasant farmer (mother). She was the sixth born in a family of 10.

She attended Gathuki-ini Primary School, in Wathenge and later proceeded to join Kahuhia Girls High School, in Karuri, both in Muranga County.

After High School, she joined Kenyatta University College (present-day Kenyatta University) and graduated with a Diploma in Education.

Career

Ms Wanyoike began her career in 1970 where she worked as a tutor and principal at a city college. She was later employed by the government and posted to State House Girls Nairobi as a teacher in 1972.

At the time, she earned a monthly salary of Ksh961.

She would later realise that she was meant to be more than just someone's employee. Together with her husband and other partners, they founded Temple College of Secretarial Studies where she taught secretarial courses.

Ms Wanyoike later felt that there was a need to introduce more and even newer courses into the school's curriculum. She approached management with new ideas regarding new courses and curriculums they would incorporate but the proposals were rejected.

“I was pushing for the introduction of more courses other than secretarial units, to meet the growing demand for education, but the management would not listen. And even though the institution was making a profit, I was concerned about the growing demand for training in other areas.

“By 1999 I was sure that the realities of a moving global economy required more challenging ventures to tap in the immense benefits of a globalised economy. I quit that partnership,” she stated.

NIBS

Armed with a loan of Ksh6 million and a loan of Ksh4 million from Equity Bank Kenya, Ms Wanyoike founded NIBS in 1999.

She rented a building and started the institution with 25 students and 2 teachers.

The institution got to a rocky start but continued to pick in later years. By 2010, she had raised Ksh134 million with which she built the college’s main campus on a 10-acre piece of land in Ruiru-Kimbo, Kiambu County.

By 2018, the College had grown to a population of over 6,000 students, 250 tutors spread across four campuses.

They include; Ongata Rongai, Thika Town, Nairobi Central Business District and Ruiru-Kimbo.

Other investments

Ms Wanyoike constructed a Ksh400 million hotel in Kileleshwa in 2018, christened NIBS hotel. This was with a view of establishing a five-star hotel that would rake in revenue for the school while also providing an attachment and internship environment for NIBS' hospitality students.

She has also diversified her investment portfolio to include sectors such as real estate and the financial markets.

Ms Wanyoike is also the founder and owner of Lizzie Wanyoike Preparatory School located in Ruiru, Kiambu County.

Marriage

Lizzie was married to her husband for 25 years before they parted ways. He was 16 years older than her.

Differences in marriage starting from preferences in interests and interactions due to their age differences, resulted in quarrels. He was into politics, and she had her own interests, so on some occasions, they differed on what should be done and how.