Albert Mandela is a busy man. He has a flight to catch later in the afternoon to Malindi—it is the holiday season after all, but no, he is going there for “a work thing”.
Later, in the week, he shall be flying to Dubai. For, you guessed it, work. Is he a workaholic? Well, the answer to that is the same as enquiring whether the Pope is Catholic.
“My father is healthier than my mother because he has never stopped working,” Mandela says. He, Mandela, is his father’s son—in his mannerisms, deportment, workaholism.
What does his father think about all this? “My father was ever present in my life. He raised me well,” he says. That’s why he takes every opportunity to spend time with him in the village. He is looking for what any son looks after from his father. Validation. Recognition. Acceptance.
Perhaps, Mandela has realised that nothing lasts. Father time catches up with everyone. His parents’ runway is getting shorter. Every mountain wears down, every river dies of thirst. At the Mediterraneo Ristorante at Junction Mall on Nairobi's Ngong Road, we punctuate our tête-à-tête with a bowl of scalding spicy fish soup that threatens to make itself the highlight of our conversation.
What did you do for the holidays?
I went and spent time with my family. My dad teaches at the University of Rwanda so he comes here for the holidays; my mother is in the village with my grandmother, who is 87.
What was the best part about your holiday?
Spending time with parents because as you get older you realise how important your parents are in your life. Parenting is one of those things everyone should have the benefit of enjoying to the last bit. Because you never stop being a child. That’s why I ensure I take my children to their grandparents, parents have the benefit of knowing you as an individual, knowing the world, and wanting the best of you—to get those three in one is rare.
Do you have a special ritual you do with your parents?
We sing. My father is a staunch SDA so when we go for holidays we sing at home—in church, not commercial—the whole time I am there. I was in the school choir from Class Four to Class Eight, which I lost in high school.
Have you taken up the same parenting philosophy?
The older I grow, the more I appreciate how my parents raised me. My dad was ever present— at 4pm he was home, every day. I learned grooming from him, he was very clean. My mother was a housewife, so she was always there.
I try to be as present as possible for my children, despite our busy schedules, because then you become friends with your children and connect. I go on dates with my children to just have one-on-one talks. I took my son to the Paris Olympics; he is aiming to be a tennis player and a swimmer. Seven days with him in a different county just the two of us gave us a different perspective on our relationship.
What do your children tell you about you?
I feel like they are my friends. There is always that gap between children and parents, but I don’t feel it with my children. The other day my son was travelling to the US and he told me, “Daddy you know this is the longest time I will be away without seeing you.” He is away for a month and for him to realise that at eight years old, it means he sees me as part of his life.
How is it co-parenting with the kind of schedule you have?
I grew up with my father and mother, and my three siblings. I struggle with co-parenting because I am not used to it, but it also depends on the partners that you have. If you get good partners you can focus on the babies and the friendship between the two of you, but I think I have got it easy because I have tried to do my part and live up to my responsibilities, which is raising the children; plus, I have also got good partners who feel the same way about parenting.
How do you find time to spend with your children?
I have made it a routine. I will not take a meeting at 3pm because that’s when I am going to pick up my son unless it is an emergency. I picked up my son and dropped him off every day at school for almost three years.
What’s the toughest part you’ve had to navigate around fatherhood?
How your children will turn out. You don’t want to be too hard or too soft, you want them to turn out okay. Having expectations for your children is tough and brings a challenge because every child is different.
Do you have something specially lined up for them in 2025?
I intend to push them more into sports, which brings discipline. I have three boys and I want them to be sporty, to be dedicated to something. My eldest son will be in swimming and tennis competitions, and we are going to a summer camp to train.
Gym and physical activity seem to be quite important to you.
I work out every day and if I don’t go to the gym, you’ll find me playing tennis or swimming, almost every day.
What are you looking forward to most in 2025?
We are calling it the year of numbers. We want Luton [Hospital] to grow in revenue and patient numbers—30,000 patients and a revenue of Sh500 million.
And personally?
I want to do better [chuckles]
That is such a political answer. Haha!
To be completely honest, I want to get into a relationship in 2025. I have not been in one for the last two years. Maybe it’s about time. For stability.
What do you think more people should pay attention to in 2025?
[Long pause] Having worked in the health sector, we need more people to take care of their health. Kenyans need to take insurance covers. Even if one cannot afford private insurance, they should try and get public insurance. We need to be aware of the importance of insurance covers. I have seen the surgeries we do for patients, and if they did not have covers, we would not have done them. I have seen how health emergencies can wipe out everything one has worked for their whole life.
What do you predict as a fitness trend in 2025?
Yoga, which I also enjoy the most. I want to encourage guys to try it and even stretching. Pilates are also becoming a trend.
What are you going to do less of in 2025?
Partying [chuckles]. Less of that. I don’t sleep well so I party—I am a social person, and I love being outside.
And more of?
Read more. Take more leadership courses because I think leadership is what people need to learn—what is the strategy of other leaders, how do they interact with other people, how do they lead? That’s why you find a university like Harvard will have many leadership courses because there is that gap—people get to leadership without training, thus they are not trained to be leaders.
Summarise 2024 in a word or statement.
Eyeopener. We were hiding for so long as Luton and Albert, but in 2024 things opened up. My friends too become high achievers—some have got fellowships, others became CEOs and top government officials et al. All the work we have done over the years bore fruit in 2024.
Predict 2025 in a phrase or statement.
That’s a hard one haha! This will be a year of stability. We have learned our limits and levels—so in 2025, we shall be levelling. How far can I push? What do people want? This shall be the year of stability.
