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Golf: Centenarian Duncan Ndegwa feted in Nyali tourney
NMG Chairman Dr Wilfred Kiboro (right) shares a light moment with Duncan Ndegwa (left) during the +75 Senior Golfers Recognition tournament at Nyali Golf and Country Club in Mombasa on June 2, 2025.
What you need to know:
- Deputy Central Bank Governor Gerald Nyaoma Arita also attended the event, which drew 135 players.
- Johnson Wamunyua won the 75+ category with 36 points, while Truphena Oyaro topped the ladies’ with 40 points. Ndegwa, Dr. Kiboro, and Githere planted commemorative trees to mark the occasion.
Kenyan veteran golfer Duncan Ndegwa was honoured at Nyali Golf and Country Club in Mombasa during the 75+ Senior Golfers Recognition tournament on Monday.
Ndegwa, who turned 100 in March, was praised as a foundational figure in the country’s public service and a trailblazer in golf.
Nation Media Group Chairman, Dr Wilfred Kiboro, who was the chief guest, described Ndegwa as more than a civil servant, calling him a national pillar during Kenya’s early years.
“It is an honour and indeed a rare privilege for me to stand before you this evening to celebrate a man whose name is woven into the fabric of our nation’s history,” Kiboro said.
“Duncan Ndegwa is not only turning 100; he is marking a century of principled service, intellectual rigour, and enduring legacy. I speak not merely as a contemporary, but as someone who has observed, admired, and been shaped by the public service ethos that Duncan came to embody.”
Ndegwa is believed to be the first Kenyan to play golf, having picked up the game in 1955 while a student at St Andrews University in Scotland. Despite his age, he played a few holes during the event.
“Many younger Kenyans may not fully grasp the depth of Ndegwa’s contribution,” said Kiboro.
“In the uncertain moments of transition—when colonial structures were giving way to indigenous leadership—it was men like Duncan who brought clarity, order, and vision.”
Kiboro noted Ndegwa’s key roles as the first African Governor of the Central Bank, Permanent Secretary for Economic Planning, and later Secretary to the Cabinet and Head of the Civil Service.
“He was a man of quiet strength. He never sought the limelight but always had the confidence of those who mattered—including the founding president, Jomo Kenyatta,” Kiboro added.
“Perhaps what set him apart most was his insistence on merit... Duncan Ndegwa stood firm.”
Nyali Golf Club chair Jayne Githere, who initiated the event to honour golfers aged 75 and above, said:
“Today is not just about golf. It is about legacy, dedication, and the remarkable journeys that have brought us here.
I had the privilege of working at the Central Bank under Duncan Ndegwa. That experience shaped my professional life.”
In a speech read by his son Robin Muriuki, Ndegwa said:
“It is with profound gratitude that I stand before you this afternoon as a Centenarian, as a fellow golfer and member here at Nyali for over 40 years.
Madame Githere may have learnt her great patience on the course from her late great father, but her sense of approbation is from God!”
Deputy Central Bank Governor Gerald Nyaoma Arita also attended the event, which drew 135 players.
Johnson Wamunyua won the 75+ category with 36 points, while Truphena Oyaro topped the ladies’ with 40 points. Ndegwa, Dr. Kiboro, and Githere planted commemorative trees to mark the occasion.