Tabitha Nabwera left her parent's home in Sirisia, Bungoma County, in the mid-1950s to study clinical medicine at Kenyatta National Hospital.
In the course of study, she met Burudi Nabwera who was working for a European in Nairobi. Nabwera had just finalised his studies at Makere University in Uganda.
When the two first met, Tabitha never imagined that Burudi was going to be her husband of over five decades.
The late Masinde Muliro, a prominent son of the western region, played a major role in the union of Tabitha and Burudi.
Muliro was Tabitha's teacher at Kolanya Girls High School.
"Muliro knew both of us. He often told Burudi, 'Tabitha is a good girl, marry her' and he would tell me the same about him. He was very happy when we eventually got married,'' says Tabitha.
Tabitha was just 22 when she met Burudi who was 32. They dated while she was in college and would only meet when she was on recess.
Tabitha remembers the night dances they attended together with nostalgia and as they continued dating she became more attracted to Burudi who according to her was caring, hardworking, committed and mature.
"Our teachers at college were European and very strict with girls. So we could only meet when I was on holiday. He often took me out for dances and we had good times,'' says Tabitha who is now 79.
She later completed her studies and began preparations for her wedding to Burudi who had not yet joined politics.
"When I met him he had not joined politics. I finished college and I was posted to Nakuru District Hospital but he continued working in Nairobi. We later went home to the village and he visited my parents to inform them of his plans to marry me," she says.
Tabitha's parents agreed and gave them the go ahead. They started planning for their wedding, which was held at Malava Friends Church, Kakamega in March 1958.
"We came back home and wedded at Friends Church Malava. The ceremony was witnessed by both our parents and relatives. When I married him I was 24,'' says Tabitha.
Tabitha later resigned from her job and joined her husband in Nairobi. A few months into the marriage, Burudi travelled to the United Kingdom to study at the London School of Economics for four years, leaving his young wife behind.
"I got an opportunity to go abroad for further studies. Immediately after the wedding, I left for London," says the former politician and ambassador.
Tabitha would be posted to Sirisia Hospital on a temporary basis after Burudi left.
"When he was leaving I didn't know I was pregnant with our first born child. So in 1959, we welcomed our son Joseph,'' she said.
One year after her husband left for London, Tabitha went to Manchester to study midwifery.
"I went with my son Joseph and when I arrived there, I found a foster mother to look after him as I studied. I was there for three years and my husband would visit us from London once in a while,'' she says.
The couple went on to have four children Jimmy (Economist), Julie (Lawyer), Lilian (Journalist) and Helen (Pediatrician). They have several grandchildren.
Burudi completed his studies in London and came back to Kenya and joined active politics. He vied for the Lurambi North parliamentary seat but lost the election.
"I came back home after independence. My husband had contested for the Lurambi North constituency seat but was unsuccessful,'' she says.
Burudi would later be posted to New York as Kenya's permanent representative to the United Nations by Mzee Jomo Kenyatta. Tabitha worked at Pumwani Maternity Hospital for a year and later joined her husband in New York.
"In New York, I was a house wife and I concentrated on taking care of the kids. When my husband's tenure ended we came back home and he again vied for the Lurambi North parliamentary seat and this time he was elected," Tabitha says.
Tabitha worked at Kitale District Hospital until she retired.
"I decided to work near my home so that I could take care of the homestead and family. I believe this is the best decision I ever made as a wife and mother,'' she adds.
Burudi who turns 90 in January served as Lurambi North MP for two terms from 1969-1979.
Tabitha says that marriage is not easy and they have shared good and bad times together. "We've lived together well but I cannot say it has all been rosy. It has had its ups and downs but along the way we learnt from our mistakes and be good to each other and here we are 58 years later,'' observes Tabitha.
