January 26, 2025

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Is Gathee wa Njeri The Most Educated Kikuyu Musician? See His Impressive Academic Achievements

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Gone are the days the vernacular music in Kenya was seen as a livelihood for people who had failed in education.

Musicians, particular secular artists were regarded as failures and kids were advised not to venture there.

But today, the industry is a money-making venture and modern musicians have enviable education from colleges and universities.

A number of Kikuyu musicians are university graduates and one of them Lawrence Gathee Mwangi popularly known as Gathee wa Njeri is apparently the most educated singer from the house of Mumbi.

The fast rising musician has achieved big in education, above many celebrated artists in Kenya.

Gathee is currently pursuing Masters in Business at Kenyatta University.

Gathee during his graduation.

Fellow artists in his category have degrees, some very marketable like Kioi Junior who is an Engineer from University of Nairobi (UoN), Eddie Gathenge is pursuing degree in Gynaecology and others have done well in education.

Other Kikuyu singers though not into Mugithi genre but have degrees include David Mathenge (Nameless) who is an Architect from UoN, his wife Wahu Kagwi has degree of Mathematics from UoN and more others.

Gathee went to Kimathi Secondary School, a mixed day school in Gaturi, Murang’a County and he scored grade A in KCSE.

Nameless and his wife Wahu.

“I passed with a record grade that had not been achieved before in my village and it is yet to be broken” Gathee said in a recent interview.

He joined KU for a Bachelors degree in Agribusiness Management and Trade. He attained Second upper.

After KCSE results were released, his former school hired him as a Biology and Mathematics teacher while he waited to join the university.

Kioi Junior who is an engineering graduate from University of Nairobi.

The last born in family of five started playing guitar while in form two and when he worked as a teacher he bought a guitar and recorded his first song “Wamunyota” (The Thirsty One) in 2012.

A friend and his late father, a teacher who passed on in 2007 when Gathee was in Form three taught him how to play guitar.

Entertaining revelers in pubs around Githurai paid his university fees and shaped his music career.

Gathee on stage. Music has become his livelihood.

He says; “Though I am pursuing education to higher levels, music is paying me well than would be earning from some employment”.