Today and everyday hereafter, we will celebrate the life of Cathy (Babo), a daughter, a sister, a friend and a mother to two beautiful children, Njoro and Angie. There was no sadness in Cathy’s life, for she always afforded everyone a smile, even when she was in pain as the sickness took over her body. Cathy still found reason to smile, for family or for friends who had come to visit her and comfort her.  She smiled as she watched Angie “her Angel” dance and walk like a model. A cherished memory for Cathy, was when she was ill,  and Angie prayed for her, asking her how she was feeling. Cathy answered that she was feeling good, and Angie would tell her, it was because of her (Angie’s) prayers. We know that Angie will continue praying for her mummy who is now residing in heaven.

Being a mother came naturally for Cathy, or ‘Babo’ as we affectionately called her, when her beloved niece Sherrie was born (Antonia’s blessed daughter, now an Angel in heaven). Cathy fit the role of aunt and mother perfectly, and she always said that Sherrie taught the sister’s how to be mothers.  So close were Sherrie and Cathy, that it was Sherrie who christened Cathy the now famous ‘Babo’ name because she couldn’t pronounce Wambu (short for Wambui).  Babo was the tender one, the family oriented one, the caring sister, the one whom everyone felt a close attachment too. Cathy was indeed the quiet one, but very strong and bold. She was strong enough to take care of her late sister Njeri during her ailment, and caring enough to Njeri’s daughters (Mumbi, Mugure, and Wanjiru) through the difficult times.

Babo was fabulous 40; she looked gorgeous @ 40 and still kept her youthful look. In December, even in her illness, Babo still looked very beautiful. Undeniably her beauty was from within; it’s little wonder that in 1996, Cathy won the Miss Utalii beauty Pageant, for beauty and grace. Everyone that knew her agrees that she was not one to flaunt herself. After completing her primary studies at SawaSawa Academy, Babo joined St. George's Secondary school. She then joined  Utalii College before venturing out in the Hospitality industry. She worked with PanAfric Hotel and later on at African Heritage, and Equity Bank.

Born a middle child of 6 children, Babo made herself stand out in many ways, and she didn’t even need to call attention to herself. To her siblings, she was the loving sister, the one that everyone felt at ease with. As a family, the Kirui’s have been through a lot, and they’ve been through it together. To her mother, she was a beloved, loving daughter who was always there to assist. Babo’s strength and faith comes from a background of staunch faith and believe in God. Babo was a born again Christian, reading and praising the Lord. Some of her favorite music being Gospel, whether in kikuyu, Swahili or English. She sung her praises to God, loved to harmonize, exalt and worship El Gibor (The Mighty God).

It was in her illness that her faith was renewed afresh in the Lord. She was praying with her children, family and well-wishers while reading the bible.  Even in her last moments, she called unto God to be her shield and her protector.  Cathy and her siblings have always been there for each other, and it’s in this spirit of unwavering love, that Njoro and Angie will be well taken care of by loving aunties and uncles. Babo called unto her uncle Kamunyu to prepare Njoro about her illness and to speak to him about death. Njoro as young as his 8 yrs are at the demise of his mother, has understood the meaning of love and knows that even though he will miss his mother very much, he has aunties and uncles and a loving grandmother, who will care for him and Angie and bring him into manhood.

It was in September 2014, right after Babo had celebrated her children’s birthdays that she first took ill.  After many tests, it was revealed that Babo had Cancer. The Cancer had spread so fast in so little time that at first it was hard to tell whether the origin was the pancreas or the colon. Cathy forged on and took the illness in stride, with her Brother Kent & his wife Carol by her side, and her siblings assisting in every way they could. After numerous tests at Nairobi Hospital and the Aga Khan Hospital, Cathy with her sister in law, her friend and care-giver Carol, left for India for a third opinion. It was here that it was confirmed that Cathy had Stage 4 Colon Cancer that had spread to major organs, thus disqualifying her for chemotherapy or surgery.  There was little the doctors could do for her, except palliative care.

Cathy came back to Kenya a strong woman, ready to face what the future had in store for her. Friends and family members were close at hand offering any assistance they could, and praying with her and the family. Cathy kept on taking pain medication and receiving home care , and stayed very close to her family and children. On 2nd March 2015, Cathy went into respiratory distress while at Aga Khan Hospital. It was there that she stepped into a pain-free and cancer-free zone. She took her first breath in Heaven!

Catherine Wambui Kirui, our Babo is survived by her two children, Njoro (8) and Angie (3 and a half), her beloved siblings, Antonia, Martin, Kent and Njambi and their loving mother, Rahab Mugure Kirui, brothers in law, Kim and Stewart, amongst a whole host of aunties, uncles, nieces, nephews, cousins and grandmother. Our beloved Cathy was laid to rest on 10th March 2015 at Lang’ata Cemetery.

As we celebrate Cathy’s life, let us cherish the loving and caring person that Cathy was to us; how tender and soft-spoken she was to all and sundry, but still got her point across. Let’s remember her beautiful smile, her sense of humor, and the strength she showed even in the pain she was in. As we go about our daily lives, may we always say a prayer for Njoro and Angie; that they may receive wisdom and understanding and find comfort in God. Let us remember Cathy and her family in our prayers. 

On this website, you are listening to some of Cathy’s favorite music, and seeing Cathy’s pictures, of her children, her family, and friends.  Some of the songs were written by her sister Antonia, with a lot of help from Cathy. Antonia always called her "The Great Harmonizer.'' (Cathy's favorite song is “Kou Iguru”). We cherish your thoughts and tributes to a loving woman we all knew and are going to miss. Kindly leave your tributes here.  God Bless You and Shukrani (Thank you)!