About Us 

                              Limuru Public Library

 2023 Update with year by year breakdown:

Hello everyone

The library continues to go strong.

The library was opened in 2019 September and continues to serve the people of Limuru

It is open to the public without any charges with free wifi and books

We keep a daily log of patrons as well as membership ledger.

2019:

November / December : We held the Limuru Public Library 1st every poem and essay writing competition

December 10: award ceremony : guest of honor Elder and senior patron John Kinyungu

Essay and Poem competition .

All entrants received: pencils,  exercise books and a special treat ( chocolate).

Certificate: - each entrant certificate of recognition

• Winners received a certificate of excellence

• Scholarship winners received a scholarship certificate

Scholarships:

1. Going to form 1: M. Wambui- scholarship winner ksh 5,000 (pen and pouch gift set, Tristan strong book, journal)

2. Poem: B. Otieno - Going to Form 1 : ksh 5000 scholarship winner ( fringe pens, the hero next door, journal)

Grade 8 

3. R. mukuhi  -  Going to Form 1 : received ksh 5000 scholarship: winner ( percy jackson and the Olympians, set of pencils)

4. E. Gachathi- entrant

5. P. Nyambura- entrant

Grade 7 

6. F. Anyango - winner ( flurry pen, Holes by Louis Sachar)

7. K. Sialo- entrant

8. S. Ndungu entrant

Grade 6

9. M. Njoki- winner ( pens set,hello universe, journal)

10. J. Kamau - entrant 

11. J. Gathoni - entrant 

12. I. Mutura- entrant

13. B. Kamau - entrant

grade 5

14. W. Githua - entrant

grade 4

15. J. Mburu - entrant

Grade 3

16. F. Wanjiru- co winner ( Amelia earhart book)

17. W. Wangari- co winner ( Amelia Earhart book)

18. D. Mwaura- entrant

19. C. Ndungu entrant

20. V. Murithi- entrant

grade 2

21. J. Kanyi- entrant

2020:

Library ongoing as usual until March 2020 when Covid struck

Early March: Per guidelines initiated sanitizing, masks, closing library early and increased spacing

March 24th: library closed due to Covid

April 2020:  with the economic challenges brought about by Covid, Dr Kinyungu solicited and started a cash assistance program during covid for Kenyan families ( CiCAPU : Covid Cash Assistance Private USaidizi) program aided by Cecilia, Dan and the help of two other community workers Mburi and Giciririi. The program sent cash assistance to over 500 families ( see write up below) 

June 13 2020: reopened the library with capacity reduced to half. Kids area removed to increase safety

June 16: allowed patrons to handle library books

July 1 2020: restarted borrowing of books

September  2020 anniversary:  Due to covid we were careful  not to do a big celebration: We  made tea at the library and catered cake and treats including mandazi, chapati for  our patrons to celebrate the one year. See the One year write up  below 

 2021

March: covid numbers climbed again: spacing reduced again to one seat per table for the month of March and once numbers reduced we increased seating again

2022:

March 2022 : Mask wearing is not necessary any longer  in Kenya per guidance. 

3rd year anniversary : September 5th anniversary: We had a celebration led by Mburu with prayer and thanksgiving and our patrons received notebooks, pens, cake, samosa, juices, biscuits

Write up: September 2020: One year anniversary:

• Limuru Public Library is one year old September 3rd 2020!

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It has been a wonderful journey from the conception of the idea to the construction of the library to the opening and now to one year of serving the people of Limuru.

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• I would like to take this opportunity to thank first and foremost the wonderful people of

• Limuru who accepted the library as their own and have become regular patrons of the library. Without you, there would be no library. A library is more than the books. A library is the people. Without people to read the books, without people to use the wifi, without people to sit down on the chairs and put in hours of reading and study a library is of no use to anyone.

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• Our young ones especially embraced the library fully making use of the library  during

• school days as a place to study after school as well as the weekend. During school holidays the young showed us their thirst for knowledge as they filled the library to the brim eagerly absorbing knowledge. 

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• The library hosted an essay and poem writing competition at the end of 2019 and we

• had a wonderful response from the young who showcased their writing skills. We had winners in age groups who received presents during a prize giving ceremony on December 10 2019 as well as certificates for each entrant. We were able to present three of our students advancing to high school with scholarships to assist with education. 

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• Covid 19 brought a challenge to the whole world and the library was not spared. To

• protect the people of Limuru we heeded the call by the Government of Kenya and closed the library in March 2020. Once the government gave the greenlight, we reopened June 15 with a reorganized library for social distancing. As much as the children love the kids area, we removed this area so as not to encourage our young children to congregate and we spaced out the tables and chairs. We set up a hand washing station at the entrance along with hand sanitizers in the library and all our patrons were required to wear masks.

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• Our supportive patrons welcomed us back and they came ready to social distance and

• read and study and the library has continued to serve the people of Limuru. Every day we have primary school students, high school students, college students using the library facilities to study and do their work. The free wifi and laptops have been especially helpful to the students in doing their virtual learning brought about by Covid.

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• To date we have 475 members including parents and their children with over 100 books

• borrowed and returned.

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• Special mention to our awesome team on the ground daily, our wonderful librarian

• Cecilia and our master manager Dan. The two of them ensure a seamless working library that works like a  well oiled machine and the work they put in every day cannot be matched. 

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• Special mention as well to my father John Kinyungu Muthiora who never says no

• whenever I call upon  him sending him here or there to present an award to our young people and encourage them. 

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• It truly takes a village and it would be impossible to mention every person by name who

• has made Limuru public library a success. You all know yourselves and you know that you hold a special place in my heart.  

• 
  

• In representative form please allow me to make mention of Book Fairies who got us the

• initial books to get going, special mention as well of the Anesthesia department and

• perioperative staff , surgical , PACU and Same day teams, outpatient GI team at Southside hospital as well as my family of supporters emanating from Brookdale hospital and Syosset hospital, my core in Nairobi, Runda, Kahawa West, Tanzania who came together as a family to offer immense support. 

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• Special mention as well to my family, my dazzling wife Melisa, mesmerizing daughter

• Kahenya and amazing son Kaeri for all things library and more: the library planning,  designing, stocking, packing of books etc.  It was Kaeri  who really lit the flame,  the original light that started us down this path with his desire to start an organization that would do something for autism and breast cancer that after family discussions broadened to literacy and healthcare and curved a path for community libraries and more. 

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• Our goal is to open one  library every year in our communities in Kenya and Africa in

• general. Covid 19 put a stop this year to plans that we made to open a library in Masasi,

• Tanzania. Hopefully next year we will be able to do so.

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• We would also like to start shipping books by container as opposed to shipping four

• boxes a month as I have been doing and the plan next year will be to buy or rent a container, pack it full of books and ship to Kenya. Stay tuned as we will need lots of help for this endeavour. 

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• It has indeed been a wonderful year and seems just like yesterday when we had our

• opening ceremony. Thanks to God for immense blessings. 

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• Let’s continue reading, continue gathering knowledge. Ceaselessly

• Sincerely,

• Ngugi Mukora Kinyungu. M.D

CICAPU:

Covid 19 Cash Assistance Private Usaidizi (CiCapU)  

As the country takes important and necessary steps to reduce the transmission of the novid corona virus, many in Kenya have been left in financial hardship.   

As the government takes steps to help, the private sector must also step in and give the government a hand and assist and help our mothers, fathers, brothers and sisters who have been hit hard.  

Especially hit hard are day laborers and gig workers who depend on a hard days work to put food on the table each evening.  

This assistance is meant to help our casual laborers who are currently not able to work, the people at the backbone of our economy.   

 The amount will be ksh 1,000 delivered via Mpesa or same amount in groceries if unable to accept Mpesa.   

While all applications are welcome we will give preference to working mothers. 

 Please apply by responding to the following questions and send via email to mukora_ngugi@yahoo.com  

1. Name:   

2. Kenyan ID number: 

 3. Address:  

3. Your job:  

4. Have your employer or your village chief or an elder send a message on your behalf to verify your information. 

His or her message should include  - your name - chief or elders name, elders ID number, phone number, elders address.   

5. Take a picture of your ID and send as well  

The above information will be verified.  

Funds are limited and there is no guarantee that we can fund every request we get however please rest assured that we will do all we can to help.  

To those who can join in helping, please reach out as well so we can join together to help

   Thanks, Dr Ngugi Mukora Kinyungu

2023:

Year has been going well, we had a change in the team saying our goodbye to our long time Librarian Cecilia who was with us from the start of the library. 

Cecilia maintained the high quality of the library, was a daily source of information and support to the patrons and she will be sorely missed. 

Our new librarian Mary started with us officially in September after a tutelage period with Cecilia and while she has big shoes to fill has been doing a wonderful job to date.

September 4 2023: we celebrated our 4th anniversary in our usual way- with a cake, mandazi , chapati, samosas, and tea for our esteemed patrons. 

We continue to average 15-20 patrons daily with the number climbing to 30 and above on periods when schools are closed. 

Links

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Fb: https://www.facebook.com/limurulibrary/