Last week I was invited to be one of the speakers at the launch of Manu Chandaria’s biography, From Success to Significance, and it was an amazing event, with over 600 people gathering to celebrate the life of this extraordinary man.
It was nearly half a century since I first met Manu, and by then he was already half a century old. He had not yet received any of the six honorary degrees he now holds, nor had he an OBE, MBE, or CBE. But he was already a highly successful industrialist and humanitarian, and by then he had achieved significance beyond success.
I met him when I joined the Rotary Club of Nairobi in 1978, of which he had been a member since 1963, and became its president in 1982 – four years before I took over the club.
Former Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka was with us at the launch and described how she interacted in the late 1970s with “young Steve” as we called him then, adding that it was very hard to imagine that he was now approaching 70! She explained that our Rotary Club had awarded him a scholarship for postgraduate studies in Cyprus, after which he joined Rotary and was employed first at Kaplan & Stratton and then as a legal manager at Mano Comcraft.
I spoke about Manu’s support for two of our club’s signature projects, both of which I was part of in their early years: the Disabled People’s Pool, as it was then called, which was launched in 1979 and is now known as the Sunshine Pool, and the Rural Blindness Eradication Project, which began in 1985.
Manu continues to be very active in our club, whether by providing funding for many initiatives or contributing to our WhatsApp group.
I then moved on to talk about Manu’s support for member trade organisations, especially KEPSA, of which he was the founding chairman in 2003, and of which I was also a founding director. Kisumu Governor Anyang Nyong’o was in the room, and I referred to him as the man who instigated the formation of this organisation, as Minister of Planning.
In February 2003, at a conference in Mombasa where economists David Ndi and Harris Mole launched the economic recovery strategy, Professor Nyong’o called on the private sector to speak with one voice. Manu remains active in KEPSA, including as Chairman of the Board Nomination Committee, of which I am also a member.
She then spoke of Manu as an enabler of universities, funding major buildings and appointing two of them as his advisor; the United States International University and the Technical University of Kenya.
Finally, I was drawn to the way he professionalized his companies, by appointing outside independent directors early on—such as the late Hannington Urey, whose brother Modi (a former vice president) was with us—and also non-family members as senior directors.
In addition to his early founding of the Chandaria Foundation, despite his father’s initial resistance.
I concluded by praising Manu as a family man, and appreciating the child still alive inside him. He is as everyone sees him: humble, open-minded, humble, kind, and generous – as Margaret Kenyatta wrote in the introduction to her book.
Mr. Musyoka was next to speak, describing Manu as being like a father to him. At Comcraft, Manu learned a lot about the art of negotiation, how to bring people together, and much more.
Through Manu and Rotary he was introduced to the concept of “Service Above Self.”
Then he introduced us to Mr. Musyoka Namjiya Kamba, the Indian High Commissioner, who told us that she loved Manu and relied on him as an advisor as an elder, because he was also a good friend of India. “You are a hero, and we need more heroes,” she concluded.
Manu’s granddaughter Nahima told us that Manu is the one who adds life to his days rather than adding days to his life.
He’s everything to everyone when they need him most, and he does it with great style.
Daystar University Vice Chancellor Professor Laban Iro told us that Manu was a great supporter of the World Peace Foundation’s initiatives at Daystar. Professor Iro was heavily involved in the preparation of the book, which he told us reveals the man behind the accolades.
I will end by describing what Manu talked about about leaving a legacy, by giving rather than taking – which is what leads one from success to significance. He readily admitted that he will not be around forever, but the Chandaria Foundation will live on, and continue to nurture the community. Did I write enough to encourage you to read the book? I think so.
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