Kimani Ng'ang'a Maruge ( – August 14, 2009) holds the
Guinness World Record for being the oldest person to leave
primary school
A primary school (in Ireland, the United Kingdom, Australia, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, and South Africa), junior school (in Australia), elementary school or grade school (in North America and the Philippines) is a school for primary e ...
—he enrolled in the first grade on January 12, 2004, aged 84. Although he had no papers to prove his age, Maruge believed he was born in 1920 however he had the physical appearance of someone slightly younger.
Maruge attended Kapkenduiywo Primary School in
Eldoret, Kenya; he said that the government's announcement of universal and free elementary education in 2003 prompted him to enroll.
In 2005 Maruge, who was a model student, was elected head boy of his school.
In September 2005, Maruge boarded a plane for the first time in his life, and headed to
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...
to address the
United Nations
The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be a centre for harmoniz ...
2005 World Summit
The 2005 World Summit, held between 14 and 16 September 2005, was a follow-up summit meeting to the United Nations' 2000 Millennium Summit, which had led to the Millennium Declaration of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Representatives ( ...
on the importance of free primary and secondary education for all.
Final years
Maruge's property was stolen by looters during the
2007-2008 post-election violence, and he contemplated quitting school. During early 2008 he lived in a refugee camp, where he was reportedly a minor celebrity, four kilometers from his school, but still attended classes every day. In June 2008, he relocated to the capital
Nairobi
Nairobi ( ) is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The name is derived from the Maasai phrase ''Enkare Nairobi'', which translates to "place of cool waters", a reference to the Nairobi River which flows through the city. The city proper h ...
.
In June 2008, Maruge was forced to withdraw from school and relocate to a retirement home for senior citizens. However, soon after, on June 10, 2008, Maruge enrolled once again into Standard 6 at the Marura primary school, located in the
Kariobangi
Kariobangi is a low-income residential estate in northeastern Nairobi. It consists of both apartments and slum-type dwellings. The name Kariobangi is believed to have come from an English phrase "Carry your bags" that was used by a white settl ...
area of Nairobi.
Film
A feature film about Kimani Maruge starring
Oliver Litondo and
Naomie Harris
Naomie Melanie Harris (born 6 September 1976) is a British actress. She started her career when she was a child, appearing in the television series ''Simon and the Witch'' in 1987. She portrayed Selena in the zombie film ''28 Days Later'' (2002 ...
titled ''
The First Grader'' was released on May 13, 2011. The British-produced film was shot in the
Rift Valley
A rift valley is a linear shaped lowland between several highlands or mountain ranges created by the action of a geologic rift. Rifts are formed as a result of the pulling apart of the lithosphere due to extensional tectonics. The linear d ...
in
Kenya
)
, national_anthem = " Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"()
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, image_map2 =
, capital = Nairobi
, coordinates =
, largest_city = Nairobi
...
.
Baptism
On Sunday May 24, 2009, Maruge was baptized at Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Kariobangi and took a Christian name.
[Daily Nation, May 24, 2009]
Oldest pupil now seeks to be listed in Book of Life
/ref>
Maruge was then using a wheelchair
A wheelchair is a chair with wheels, used when walking is difficult or impossible due to illness, injury, problems related to old age, or disability. These can include spinal cord injuries ( paraplegia, hemiplegia, and quadriplegia), cerebr ...
.
Death
Maruge died on August 14, 2009, of stomach cancer, at the Kenyatta National Hospital in Nairobi. He was buried at his farm in Subukia.
Google Doodle
On 12 January 2015, on the 11th anniversary of his first day of school, Google's homepage Google Doodle
A Google Doodle is a special, temporary alteration of the logo on Google's homepages intended to commemorate holidays, events, achievements, and notable historical figures. The first Google Doodle honored the 1998 edition of the long-running an ...
was about Kimani Maruge.[Google Doodle]
11th Anniversary of Kimani Maruge's First Day of School
/ref>
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Maruge, Kimani
People from Uasin Gishu County
1920s births
2009 deaths
Deaths from stomach cancer
Deaths from cancer in Kenya
Kenyan Roman Catholics
20th-century Roman Catholics
21st-century Roman Catholics