“It is your reaction to adversity, not the adversity itself,
that determines how your life’s story will develop”
The afternoon of Tuesday 15th January 2019 will forever remain a day etched into the lives of Cellulant employees, at its headquarters in Nairobi – a day that bravery and selflessness triumphed over terror.
As Cellulant employees evacuated the Cavendish building to safety during the attack, a group of 17 staff members tried to evacuate the building. Unfortunately, they were met with a barrage of gunfire from the terrorists that led to a number of them retreating back into the building for safety. First-hand accounts from those who survived to confirm that all the six departed; Ashford Kuria Maina, Denis Munene Mwaniki, Jeremiah Mathai Mbaria, John Wanyaga Ndiritu, Kelvin Kariuki Gitonga, and Wilfred Kareithi Waihura, acted bravely to save their fellow colleagues, who were with them, at the time of the attack.
There are no words to capture our sadness and our heartbreak in losing our six brothers and colleagues. They fought a good fight; a fight that has brought hope and meaning to millions of Africans across the continent.
They were full of energy, passion, very talented and full of purpose. They worked with their hearts and applied themselves to innovate for a better Africa and a better future for generations to come. Through the technology that they built, millions of Africans are connected to financial services that allow them to be empowered to build their families, their businesses and their communities.
The Legacy of our Brave Six
They were our #MakePossible colleagues – there is not a single one of them would shy away from doing that which was needed – even if it meant putting the extra time to do it right.
The late president Nelson Mandela said,
“I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.”
By rising to the occasion, amidst such a tragedy for which they knew not the cause nor magnitude, they acted to keep safe their fellow men and women trapped in the building on that fateful day.
The story of Ashford, Denis, Jeremiah, John, Kelvin, and Wilfred shall forever be entwined with the history of Cellulant.
Their names shall become the rallying call to the Cellulant mantra of #MakePossible and we will always remember that in life and death they were our family, grounded in the values we hold dear. Terror will not stop us from carrying on the legacy of our Brave 6. We shall not be deterred by terrorism. They live on with us through the work they poured their hearts into. We will soldier on because we know that the work they left behind continues to impact millions of lives in Africa. In this, we keep their memories alive.
May we look back at January 15th, 2019, not as a day when we lost our brothers through an act of cowardice meant to instil fear, instead, let it be a day we exalt them. May their acts of valour be our clarion call for us to believe that each individual can make a difference to their lives and to socie
We celebrate and honour our six brave men whose selfless acts of leadership and bravery saved the lives of their colleagues. We are proud of their service to humanity.
We are here now
Normal business operations have resumed in Nairobi. We have since found temporary offices at Delta (PwC) Towers 5th Floor and West End Towers in Westlands, Nairobi for our over 200 Cellulant Kenya staff members. We move forward, undeterred in our mission to transform Africa.
Our future is now. We are here now.
A Beneficiary Fund for the Brave Six
The memories of their presence shall remain in each line of code they wrote, every team they were a part of and every milestone we mark. They were full of energy, passion, very talented and full of purpose. They worked with their hearts and applied themselves to innovate for a better Africa and a better future for generations to come. Through the technology that they built, millions of Africans are connected to financial services that allow them to be empowered to build their families, their businesses and their communities.
The Brave Six were young men who were just starting out in their family lives. They have left behind young children and dependents to whom, they were financial pillars. We continue to stand strong with the families. Our goal is to make sure that; the children left behind will be educated; the families will receive healthcare and they have shelter for the foreseeable future.
We have set up a memorial site and a beneficiary fund to allow anyone who wishes to contribute to their memory to do so. Click here to know more about The Brave 6 and how you can join us in supporting their families.
