Kenya is the home place of a man, not so ordinary, he’s unique. He’s the world’s oldest pupil, at the age of 84, he entered primary school. Sadly, at the age of 89, he has passed away, after a battle with cancer. It was believed that he attended school just to read the Bible.
Joseph Stephen Kimani Nganga Maruge was one delighted grandfather because he accomplished his goal – to read the Bible. It was the only reason why he went to school.
Every morning, he’ll usually take out the Bible to read before he had to attend school. “Even when he fell ill and you found him basking in the sun, often he would be reading the Bible.” Anna Maruge, 18 said.
Maruge was accepted in school in the western Kenya town of Eldoret, he wore tidy school attire. He was forced to wear school shorts, sweater and long socks. Every day he would hump to school, wearing a bag over his shoulder.
Maruge has four children, nineteen grandchildren and one great grandchild, and Maruge was probably the world’s most unexpected student when he enrolled in school.
It was pretty depressing for Maruge because when the sickness got to him, he wasn’t exactly fit to go to school anymore. He constantly cried because of this.
A meaningful quote by him, “Liberty means going to school and learning,” he said in an interview at that time. “You are never too old to learn.”
