Nuru Mugambi was not supposed to live past the age of 40. She was scheduled to die seven years after being diagnosed with a rare, severe autoimmune disease called catastrophic antiphospholipid syndrome, or lupus.
On 5 August, she was admitted to the Aga Khan University Hospital in Nairobi. It never worked out. The final phase of her illness seems to have been marked by hospitalizations, fundraising, and prayer, easily framing her as a “warrior” or poster child for lupus.
It reduces everything a person has achieved, and the dreams he has dreamed, to his final illness. It shouldn’t be, because Nuru was much more than lupus. First, and perhaps most importantly, she left behind a strong and inspiring teenage daughter, McKenna, whom she always spoke of, with the same excited affection that most mothers speak of to their children.
She was a mother who wanted the things most mothers want for their children; Health, focus, balance, independence and happiness.
She had the same fears as any parent in every generation who asked the same question: Will my child be okay in this terrible world looming with uncertainty?
For her, living with a terminal illness, this must have had an even greater impact on her as a mother, knowing the uncertainty that lies within the boundaries. That’s why she deliberately raised her daughter.
Two years ago, when she left her job and traveled to the US to earn her second degree in sustainable finance, she took McKenna with her. She raised her daughter as a single parent and admits to the great sense of responsibility that comes with that.
“Honestly, I don’t think I’m a better person than I was before I became a mother,” she told this newspaper in an interview several years ago.
When she was diagnosed with lupus, she was 33 years old. Doctors initially thought she had arthritis. She was about to buy medicine for this disease when the pharmacist said, “Wait a minute, this doesn’t look like arthritis at all. This could be lupus. Have you had a lupus test?”
She had blood work done that confirmed it. Her doctor told her she would not live to be 40. Well, she lived for another 14 years after that grim diagnosis. Throughout her adult working life, she has left an undeniable mark in her field.
It has served as a recognized authority in sustainable finance and responsible investment across Africa. Nuru served as a consultant to the World Bank-supported Sustainable Finance and Banking Network, a knowledge-sharing and capacity-building platform in sustainable finance for financial sector regulators and associations in emerging markets.
She previously worked as Director of Public Affairs and Sustainable Finance at the Kenya Bankers Association (KBA) for 10 years until December 2021 and helped design the Kenya Green Bond Programme, which led to the first corporate green bonds in East and Central Africa.
Nuru also served as Head of Corporate Affairs and Investor Relations at Absa Bank Kenya in the four years until 2012. She has served on the boards of Kenya Private Sector Alliance (KEPSA), Economic Diplomacy Sector Council, Ethics Committee for Co-operative Societies and National Treasury. SME Credit Guarantee Scheme and Judicial Mediation Accreditation Commission.
Under her leadership, she strengthened the financial sector’s contribution to sustainable economic development in Africa. It has also been a long-term partner of the Anjaza Awards, which seeks to recognize the talents and contributions of women in the financial sectors across the continent.
At KBA, she led transformational initiatives such as the Banking Industry Sustainable Finance Initiative and the People with Disabilities Initiative, which were instrumental in driving positive change and inclusion within the financial sector.
She was the overall sustainable finance advisor for the Sustainable Banking and Finance Network (SBFN) and board chair of the Eisenhower Fellowship, earning her recognition from former US President Barack Obama.
Her contributions to policy formulation have progressively changed banking practices, especially in the area of sustainable finance, earning her a Fellowship of the Kenya Institute of Bankers in 2015, making her the youngest woman to be awarded the Fellowship.
Her constant illness could not overshadow her professional life. It is easy to remember people who have suffered from terminal illnesses over long periods of time, as fighters, warriors and just patient people.
Courage is a theme we are quick to embrace, it gives us comfort from our fears and insecurities. But in doing so, we forget to see the lives of people like Nuru, for their uniqueness.
On November 15, it was her daughter McKenna, wearing a green dress and black stockings, who pressed the button that began the cremation process.
“She was strong and capable, a young lady who was raised well by an exemplary woman.” One of those present at the cremation said.
They say that although death leaves a heartache that no one can heal, love leaves a memory that no one can steal. The memories she left behind in the rooms she stood in, and the people she touched with her work, remain like footprints in the sand.
On Engage Talk, she talked about going to the US when she was 18 and working in a cafeteria to make ends meet, how she felt invisible to the people she served, and how life felt like a series of missed exits.
Most agree that although she eventually came out, she was certainly seen by many who loved her and even those who didn’t know her.
A funeral service will be held in Nairobi on November 28, after which her ashes will be taken to her village in Meru and buried next to her father.