By Caren Ogola, Lecturer, Karatina University School of Business
On October 8, the Muthaiga Golf Club came alive for its Wednesday Club Night, with former club chairman Philip Kinisu as the evening’s sponsor. The event also provided an opportunity to promote Kinisu’s book, The Interrupted Accountant, giving it renewed visibility just days after its official launch.
A long-time member of Muthaiga Golf Club, Kinisu sponsored the event as a gesture of appreciation to his peers while sharing his literary achievement. The day began early with a book booth courtesy of Free Press Publishers, who handled sales and promotion. The display attracted golfers and guests eager to learn about the book and its availability, while also highlighting the author’s motivation for sponsoring the tournament.
“In life, it’s not all about work, we all need time for recreation to distract ourselves from daily challenges, maintain friendships, and lead a healthy lifestyle,” Kinisu observed. For him, golf became the perfect outlet. He first played in December 1979, in Liverpool, England, during an office Christmas party.
Golf has long been viewed as an elite sport. When Kinisu returned to Kenya in 1983 as a qualified accountant working in a premier firm, it didn’t take long for him to mingle with peers who played or aspired to play golf.
When he joined the Kenyan golfing fraternity, the sport was still largely dominated by Europeans, with a few Asians and only a handful of Africans. He became a member of Kiambu Golf Club in February 1984 and joined Muthaiga Golf Club two months later. Despite his demanding job at PricewaterhouseCoopers, he learned to balance his time between work and play. By 1990, he had attained a single handicap, a testament to his dedication and skill.
Golf offered him more than leisure; it provided a powerful networking platform where he met both seasoned and emerging professionals and business leaders. Like life, the game has its highs and lows, wins and losses that teach patience, humility, and emotional control. “Golf reveals a person’s character,” Kinisu notes. “Some handle frustration with grace, while others struggle. You meet all kinds of people, the humble and the boastful alike.”
At Muthaiga Golf Club, Kinisu was elected to the board and chaired the finance committee for three years up to 1997. He later became club chairman at the age of 41, the youngest person ever to hold the position at the time. His tenure marked a turning point, as he introduced strategic, long-term management thinking into the club’s operations. His leadership inspired younger professionals to step forward and serve.
Golf has given Kinisu the opportunity to network and travel widely, both locally and internationally, gaining exposure to diverse cultures. In retirement, he plans to continue exploring the world through golf.
Published by Free Press Publishers, The Interrupted Accountant retails at Sh2,500 for the paperback edition and is available at major Nairobi bookshops. Readers outside Kenya can purchase it on Amazon.
