Benjamin Knoxwell Ngatia Wambugu, 83, is a man known for many things as he is a retired Nakuru Town chief and an avid business man.

However, among Newspaper readers, he is known for his collection of Daily Nation Newspapers.

When Mtaa Wangu visited his office along Moi Road, an elated Wambugu had in his hands the November 10 Daily Nation newspaper. As we take our seats, he proceeds to place a bookmark on his current page.

Read: Huduma Day: Why Juma values the newspaper business, 28 years later

He goes on to explain to us why he started collecting Newspapers at the age of 31years.

Mr. Wambugu points at his 2021 /2022 collection of newspapers in his office on November 10, 2023.

Photo credit: PURITY KINUTHIA/MTAA WANGU

“I love the “Nation” and that is why I have deliberately collected each copy since 1971. Preserving the history recorded on this publication is my hobby,” says Wambugu.

Wambugu notes that his knack for Newspapers started while he was in high school at Kabarnet high school in 1964.

He then built on it while he worked at the office of the Provisional Administration, in the registry department, where he was in charge of cut outs from the dailies on matters touching on the government.

“I enjoyed doing this and my love for the paper grew even more,” he recalls.

However, July 27, 2022 would present a situation that cost Wambugu nearly his entire collection.

He was conned.

“I was approached by individuals who asked me to invest Sh 64,000 to import some legumes to be supplied in a local high school. However, I ended up being duped. Of this money, Sh 40,000 was a loan from a friend and Sh 24,000 was from my workplace,” he narrates.

Benjamin Wambugu displays some of the newspapers in his collection on November 10, 2023.

Photo credit: PURITY KINUTHIA/MTAA WANGU

To get himself out of this fix and repay, Wambugu was forced to sell his precious papers.

“I called a newspaper buyer and sold a huge chunk of my collection. I was able to fetch Sh 90,000. I cleared my debt and gave the rest of the money to my wife,” says Wambugu.

He however notes that the decision to sell the paper weighed heavily on his heart.

“For years, I sorted these papers on a monthly basis and bundled them together. I ensured they did not tear. Seeing them being carried away was painful. To imagine my papers would be used to wrap mandazi and meat in a butchery is disheartening,” he says.

Additionally, he says he lost valuable information that was dear to him, including the details on the death of JM Kariuki, the inauguration of former president; Daniel Moi, Mwai Kibaki and Uhuru Kenyatta.

He also recalls how he had to leave church early one Sunday in 1989, to move the papers from home to his office after he learnt his wife had been using his collection to light the Jiko.

Related: Meet Nakuru woman creating art pieces from old newspapers

Wambugu has now started a new collection of Newspapers from 2021. Other than his love for Newspapers, his intent is to have the best pieces in his collection picked up by collectors from the Museum of Kenya to form part of the archived historical information.

Wanjirukinuthia20@gmail.com

people