Determination Knows No Age: Gladys Muthoni graduates after 32-year journey

Gladys Muthoni, her husband Elias Munyi (middle) and their son Adam Kiio (left) during their graduation ceremony at their home in Nembure, Embu County on August 10. Photo/ Munene Nyaga.

That wish was finally fulfilled 32 years later on Friday, August 8, 2025, when she graduated from the Mt Kenya University at age 52, as a mother of three children.

As fate would have it, it was a triple blessing. Her husband Elias Munyi and their son, Adam Kiio, all graduated with degrees.

Muthoni narrates her success journey that saw her hold on despite the struggles that saw her nearly drop out of secondary school.

Muthoni finished her Primary education at Gatunduri Primary School in Embu County. She emerged as the best student, attaining 429 marks out of 600 marks. She says her education has been a journey of resilience, characterised by her father’s stern demand for education and hard work.

She recalls how she and her eight siblings would wake up at 4am, go to her father’s farm and pluck at least eight kilos of coffee each, before heading to Gatunduri Primary School two kilometres away.

“Our parents had a hefty burden of catering for our education since four of us were in Secondary school and the other four later joined. We had to supplement as the source of labour, and we had to use torches as a source of light to assist in coffee plucking during the wee hours of early morning,” she recalls.

However, the challenges didn’t prevent her from performing excellently at her Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE). She was invited to one of Kenya’s best schools, the Sacred Heart Kyeni Girls.

She managed a C+ grade of 73 points in her Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) and later joined Nyeri Technical Training Institute for a diploma in Secretarial Studies.

She missed the university cut-off of 74 points by a single point.

“I was very confused after missing out on the opportunity to join the university and thought of repeating the same class, but I was met by various questions from my father, who asked why I would opt for that while he was still struggling to pay school fees for my other siblings,” she said.

The incident fed into her determination that one day she would eventually earn her Bachelor’s Degree.

She joined Nyeri Technical Training Institute for a diploma secretarial course. It was not her first choice. She had wanted to take Librarian, Teaching or Nursing course.

In 1999, Muthoni was employed as a secretary at the Ministry of Agriculture in Embu, and later transferred to the Ministry of Interior in 2007. She returned to class for a Higher Diploma in Secretarial Studies, accelerating her determination to achieve her degree course.

She finished her higher diploma in 2013 and eight years later enrolled at Mt Kenya University for a Bachelor’s Degree in Counselling and Psychology.

“After an honest personal analysis, I realised the time is running and thought of my desire and thought of a degree course that would allow me to serve beyond my retirement and settled for the Counselling and Psychology course,” she said.

Her determination became contagious. Her husband, a high school teacher, enrolled for a Masters degree. Their son, Adam Kiio, joined the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (Jkuat) for a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering degree.

The three of them graduated in August 2025, a milestone Muthoni says is more than a fulfilment.