Education.Healthcare.Community.
“He spent decades building schools and hospitals, and spearheading every other kind of development”
Uhuru Kenyatta President of Kenya (2013 - 2022)
Nicholas Biwott was a dedicated philanthropist whose passion focused on three critical areas – education, healthcare, and entrepreneurialism. For over half a century, he raised the funds, spearheaded the initiatives and built the resources that Kenya needed to become a modern, just and successful nation.
Understanding the country’s future lay in the hands of successive generations ahead, education was his greatest passion, its importance having been instilled in him by his parents.
He helped – directly and indirectly – train and educate many thousands of young Kenyans, equipping them with the skills and knowledge to take the country forward. His fundraising efforts and contributions saw the building of sixteen schools, many of which he served as Chairman of the Board of Governors.
He built and funded in its entirety the Maria Soti Educational Centre in Elgeyo-Marakwet County – a school for girls from all backgrounds and areas of Kenya, named after his mother – and was the founder and patron of the Keiyo South Education Foundation, providing bursaries to thousands of students at all levels of education. He took tremendous pride in elevating Elgeyo Marakwet to one of the nation’s top ranked school districts.
Maria Soti currently has 212 enrolled students. It is categorised as one of the top 100 performing schools by examination results in Kenya and has achieved an average university qualification rate of 88% since 2010.
Nicholas Biwott raised and contributed funds for the building of some further 16 schools, serving as Chairman of the Board for many of them.
He has also raised and contributed funds for the building and expansion of:
- Tambach Teachers Training College (and currently serves as Chairman of the Board)
- The Flax Polytechnic
- The Chepsirer Polytechnic
- The Chepkorio Polytechnic
"Biwott was a father to me and many of us from Elgeyo Marakwet County and he took care of all of us when we were in Nairobi for college, when we were in primary and secondary school and all those who later were in Nairobi looking for employment."
Alex Tolgos,Governor of Elgeyo-Marakwet County (2013 - )
An equally energetic fundraiser to improve the health of Kenyans, he raised and contributed money for the construction and expansion of two hospitals, three health centres and eight medical dispensaries.
- The Kaptarakwa Sub District Hospital
- The Kacholwo Sub District (Maternity) Hospital
The building or expansion of Health Centres, including;
- Chepkorio Health Centre
- Kapmwosor Health Centre
- Muskut Health Centre
The building of Dispensaries, including;
- The Kiptulos Dispensary
- The Lelboinet Dispensary
- The Flax Dispensary
- The Simotwo Dispensary
- The Kipsaos Dispensary
- The Chang’ach Barak Dispensary (venomous bites)
- The Chang’ach Barak Dispensary (general)
- The Cheplooch Dispensary
"He has been a committed and dedicated trustee in helping the Fund achieve its mandate, mission, vision and core objectives despite his other overwhelming official and personal commitments. Those of us who have worked with him knew him as a kind man whose love, passion and generosity to the less-abled will be solely missed. His quest and participation in the fights for the rights of economic empowerment of persons living with disabilities will also be missed."
Kristina Pratt,Chairwoman of the National Fund for the Disabled of Kenya
For close to 40 years, he worked quietly to support the National Fund for the Disabled of Kenya, of which he was a founding trustee in 1981 and for the rest of his life a member of its various committeesFor close to 40 years, he worked quietly to support the National Fund for the Disabled of Kenya, serving as a founding trustee and member of its various committees.
His closeness to this cause was such that when he died, the Fund donated the coffin that would be used.
Stemming from his own days as an entrepreneur, Biwott was always keen to help small businesses grow, to boost the nation’s economy and create jobs.
He founded, and served as patron of, Keiyo Trade Winds, to promote and assist community businesses, young firms, and small-scale farming.
After retiring from front line politics, he established the Mbegu Charitable Trust to carry on fulfilling his mission of promoting regional cooperation and ‘sowing the seeds of education, enterprise and opportunity in East Africa’.
Biwott was a patron when we were in the university. Every holiday he used to sponsor us to go to all high schools in Elgeyo Marakwet to mentor students. After graduating from the university, when looking for employment, Honourable Biwott used to take care of us. Every Friday we used to be about 30-50, each one of us used to be given about 1,000 bob for the weekend and he would look for employment for us because I remember before I got employed 1991 August , three of us, he called Salim Chepkoiten [who] was the Director of Inspectorate in Nairobi City Commission and he said I am sending three young men please assist them , and within two months we started employment.
Hon. William Kisang,MP, Marakwet West
