Dr Kirubi acknowledged the honour with great humility/MUTHONI NJUKI
In his acceptance speech, Kirubi urged young people to work hard to promote personal and national development.
“Use the resource for the benefit of our people in acquiring that achievement, we need educated people, we need committed people, we need people who believe in hard work, we need to make sure we do not think of acquiring wealth by grabbing what is not ours,” he said at the ceremony held on Saturday at The Lord Errol’s in Runda.
Dr Kirubi acknowledged the honour with great humility saying it will give more energy to do much more.
“I hope I will continue with my journey. I therefore wish every one of us to be committed and rededicate ourselves to serving this nation as I do so and I am very proud that the Swiss Academy has honoured me and recognised my efforts, often they say a king is never recognised at his home,” he said.
Dr Kirubi said the Swiss Management Academy Zurich provided Kenyan professionals with an opportunity to acquire education and credentials for people who would otherwise not be able to due to the clash between their working hours and class time.
“When I first met Swiss Management Academy Zurich President Dr Edwin Meier, I was impressed by his vision and passion for offering Swiss education to Kenyans. He reminded me that in the world, Swiss workmanship is known as the standard of quality,” he said.
He is further calling for unity among Kenyans saying that without peace Kenya cannot develop its economy.
His younger brother Michael Kirubi, who spoke at the ceremony paid tribute to the industrialist saying he has been a great source of inspiration to him.
“I am so happy that he is a doctor today, and his dream of long ago, he was a man who could have been a scientist, he was always good in the sciences, in arts, in acting… good in everything! I have never seen a man who is always on the rise, I have never seen a backward movement,” he said.
“I think we were very lucky that Chris Kirubi was there, our parents died, we were very young, but he forgot every thing and just took care of us. I am not as disciplined as he is but he really gives me guidance and even up to today we still fight when he wants me to do the right thing,” Michael Kirubi added.
Kirubi described his elder brother as a determined man adding that it is fitting that he is now getting the recognition for the work he has done over the years.
“This is a very important moment in our family the man you see before you Dr Chris Kirubi is a man who put his ambition aside stopped his progress in education to take care of his brothers and his sisters.” he continued, “Napoleon said once, when he was boasting about what he has done for France after it fell to so many revolutions, he said remember France, I picked from the gutter by my sword and i think that is what Chris did for me.”
“He picked me up from the gutter and concentrated in educating me, from Standard 3 (Primary School education), to my Phd level in America. You can go to him asking money for this and that but he might tell you go and make your money, but if you go there and say I want money for education, he will say how much and right away you will get it,” he added.
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