Ephantus Githui Gathekia was a businessman and gifted social mobiliser who worked for many years in the civil service.

He was also a director at Nightingale Enterprises, a construction and building materials supplies company.

Ephantus joined the civil service in 1977 with the Income Tax Department and then the Kenya Revenue Authority, where he worked until 2001.

He left for the US the same year, where he lived and worked before returning to Kenya in March 2014.

He married his first wife, the late Joyce Nyambura, in 1983 and later married the late Eunice Githui.

He was blessed with five children: Zipporah Wangui, Geo? rey Gathekia, Maureen Wangechi, Allan Gachagua and Fridah Mwongeli.

Ephantus was born to the late Geo? rey Gathekia Ririani and late Zipporah Wangui Gathekia in 1956 in Hiriga Village, Nyeri County.

He went to Ngorano Primary School from 1966 to 1971 and later joined Morrison Primary School, Nairobi, where he sat his CPE.

He later went to Jamuhuri High School in 1973. As a young man, the late Ephantus became a member of the PCEA church and got baptised on December 25, 1969 at Ngaini PCEA church.

In the US, he became a member of the PCEA Neema Church Lowell in Boston, where he served as chairman of the Presbyterian Church Men's Fellowship (PCMF).He was a founding member of the Lowell 'Group of Five' Self-Help Group, as well as its chairman.

Back home in Kenya he was an active member of PCEA Happy Valley Thika, and was a founding member of Nairobi Thika Friends Association (NATHI).

Ephantus was a very social person and led a healthy and fulfi lling life. He, however, lived with hypertension, which he managed well with medication.

He died peacefully in his sleep in the early hours of May 2. He was buried on May 15 at his home in Nyeri.