Bishop Lawi Imathiu is a Kenyan Methodist cleric, educator, former parliamentarian, and one of the key figures behind the establishment of Kenya Methodist University (KeMU).
Lawi is known as the first bishop of the autonomous Methodist Church in Kenya and for championing the vision that led to the creation of one of Kenya’s leading private universities.
Imathiu also gained international recognition through his leadership in the World Methodist Council, where he became the first African to serve as president of the global Methodist body.
Throughout his career, he combined church leadership with educational development, public service, and social advocacy.
The retired bishop currently lives in his home at Kithoka, where the Deputy President Kithure Kindiki recently paid him a visit on July 25.
According to Kindiki, the retired presiding bishop is one of the fathers of faith who laid the foundation for the missionary development in Kenya.
“Retired Presiding Bishop of the Methodist Church in Kenya, the Reverend Dr. Lawi Imathiu, is one of the fathers of faith who, together with his peers, laid the foundation for church, missionary and development work in Kenya in the early years of independent Kenya. This evening, I have had the privilege to check on him at his home in Kithoka on the outskirts of Meru Town, to wish him well and thank God with him and his family for his health,” Kithure Kindiki stated on his social media account.
Early Life and Educational Background
Lawi Imathiu was born in 1932 in Kaaga, Meru County.
For his early education, Lawi attended Mwirine School, Kaaga Primary School, and Kaaga Junior Secondary School.
In 1950, he joined Meru Government Teachers College, where he studied until 1952 before joining the teaching profession.
While teaching, he continued his studies privately and later pursued a calling in Christian ministry.
In 1954, Imathiu enrolled at St. Paul’s Theological College in Kenya before proceeding to Epworth Theological College in Zimbabwe.
Later, Lawi went to Lincoln Theological College and the University of London in England, where he pursued theological education in 1958.
He subsequently earned a Master of Divinity degree from Claremont School of Theology in the United States in 1983.
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Family
Rev. Dr. Lawi Imathiu was born to Christian parents in Meru, Kenya, in a humble background.
His father, Itowke Paul, was among the earliest Christians in the Meru community, having converted to Christianity in 1910 while still a boy.
His parents brought up Lawi alongside his 12 siblings.
According to available public records, Imathiu has children, including at least one daughter, Grace Imathiu, who graduated from Wesleyan University in 1984.
In his interviews, Lawi Imathiu expresses his gratitude for being able to give his children and grandchildren a comfortable life, noting that they do not experience the struggles he underwent as a child.
“I thank God that my grandchildren, my children, have not experienced what I had experienced,” Lawi stated.
Career and Church Leadership
In 1970, Lawi Imathiu was elected president of the newly autonomous Methodist Church in Kenya.
After serving as the president for three years, Lawi became the Methodist church’s first bishop.
Under his leadership, the Methodist Church in Kenya experienced significant expansion, with membership growing and missionary outreach extended to various communities across Kenya, including the Borana, Kisii, and Maasai.
The Methodist Church also expanded its activities into Uganda and Tanzania.
On the international stage, Imathiu served in senior leadership positions within the World Methodist Council and later became its president, making history as the first African to occupy the role.
Beyond church leadership, Imathiu also served in public office as a nominated Member of Parliament during Kenya’s post-independence era, serving from 1975 to 1980.
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Founding Kenya Methodist University
In 1986, while serving as Presiding Bishop of the Methodist Church in Kenya, he unveiled a vision to establish a Methodist-sponsored university during a church conference held in Shanzu, Mombasa.
Although some delegates initially viewed the idea as unrealistic, he remained committed to turning the vision into reality.
Following the conference, the church established a working committee in 1987 to study the feasibility of creating the university.
Imathiu led campaigns to raise awareness, mobilize resources, and seek support from government leaders and development partners.
He also spearheaded fundraising initiatives that helped finance the institution’s early infrastructure projects.
Further, he helped establish the Kenya Methodist University Development Association (KeMUDA), which supported scholarships and infrastructure development.
The institution received its Letter of Interim Authority in 1997 before being granted a charter by former President Mwai Kibaki in 2006, officially becoming Kenya Methodist University.
According to Imathiu, the former Kenyan President Daniel Moi contributed to the success of the KeMU.
Currently, KeMU recognizes Imathiu as one of its founding fathers despite being retired.
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