Former Meru Governor Kiraitu Murungi led members of the Happiness Club of Kenya to officially launch the social club in Nairobi on Wednesday. The launch coincided with the International Happiness Day, celebrated globally on March 20.
During the event, Murungi, the Chief Happiness Officer at the club, emphasized the importance of Kenyans re-evaluating and realigning their lives toward happiness.
“Time has come for us to re-evaluate, to refocus, reinvent and realign our lives towards happiness and a future full of love joy and laughter. We are celebrating International Happiness Day to remind ourselves of happiness and centrality of happiness in our lives and indeed the entire world,” said Murungi.
Kenya School of Law Director Prof. PLO Lumumba, on his part, asserted that despite the hardships experienced in the country due to the high cost of living, Kenyans should actively pursue happiness.
He also advocated for Kenya and Africa as a whole to embrace International Happiness Day, as it fosters a greater desire to live.
“It is not known to many that on the 28th June 2012 the General Assembly of the United Nations designated this day 20th march as the International. It is unfortunate that it is not a day celebrated with the pomp that is necessary particularly when we talk about happiness,” he said.
Degree in Happiness
The launch of the Happiness Club of Kenya comes almost four months after Kiraitu Murungi graduated from Happiness Studies Academy with a degree in positive psychology, specializing in a course centered on happiness.
“I successfully completed a one year degree course in happiness studies from the Happiness Studies Academy and graduated. I am now fully equipped to spearhead the happiness revolution in my motherland,” he announced in November.
Murungi turned over a new leaf following a near-death brush with COVID-19 in March 2021, followed by a depressing loss to independent candidate Kawira Mwangaza in the August 2022 elections, which marked his retirement from politics.
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He then dedicated his life to pursuing happiness, registering with the US-based Happiness Studies Academy and also launching the Happiness Journal published by Happiness Resource Centre, where he is the Chief Happiness Officer.
Kiraitu says the Happiness Resource Centre is a social impact company whose primary objective is to facilitate the people of Kenya and elsewhere to pursue and enjoy happiness as the most important goal in life.
On the other hand, the Happiness Club of Kenya is described as a social program of the Happiness Resource Centre dedicated to pursuit and promotion of happiness and well-being, and to inspire personal and professional and community flourishing.
“Although Happiness Resource Centre is registered as a company limited by shares, all the revenue generated by the company are reinvested and used to realise, optimise and expand its operations to better realise the objectives of maximising happiness in our lives,” Kiraitu mentioned sometime last year.
