Not many people would leave a high-paying job. But Dr Robert Aruho is not many people. The Head of the Mount Kenya Wildlife Conservancy (MKWC) left money on the table because of a promise he made. For a time, to marry the love of his life, he slammed the brakes on his wildlife career, too. But though he was delayed, he would not be denied. ‘I made a promise to my mother at five years old that I would be a wildlife veterinarian.’ His life now has been making good on his word and turning his promise into prominence.
It is also what he teaches his four daughters: keep your word. It doesn’t matter how much you earn if your word ain’t worth much. These days, Dr Aruho is learning to be present by unwrapping all of life’s simple gifts: running, hiking, taking his car for a spa date. He is not overthinking life. He knows it all could be snuffed out in a second, so he enjoys today, today. It is, perhaps, one of the things animals have taught him best.
What would your elevator pitch about yourself be? I am a simple person born near the Maramagambo Forest in Uganda. At five years old, I made a promise to my mother that I wanted to be a wildlife veterinarian, and I have kept the promise. My father had a small shamba near the forest, and baboons used to wreak havoc, so I deferred school for a bit to help my parents with the baboons. I asked my mother, where do animals go when they get sick? She didn’t know. And that’s how I went to Makerere University to become a doctor for animals.
If I were to ask your children what their father does for work, what would they say? I’m a doctor for animals, and that I love animals.
What’s one rule you live by? Keep your promise. Honestly, I feel awkward if I tell you that I’m going to do something and I don’t do it. And I think that is the foundation of integrity: following through; it doesn’t matter how much it would cost. That’s why I have not departed from the promise I made to my mother.
Has there been a moment in your life that challenged that rule? Oh yes, it’s a small private story. I began relating to this precious girl, Harriet, who is now my wife, at the university. And when I shared with her my dream of being a veterinarian for wildlife, she was concerned and uncomfortable, but I was madly in love with her. So I decided to keep quiet for some time about those dreams until we got married [chuckles]. When our marriage got stronger, and an opportunity came up to go work in wildlife, I took it. But that really tested me.
What’s the craziest thing you’ve done for love? When I had to go and rescue my mother from a very difficult situation. She had terminal cancer, and I had to drop out of school for some time to go and nurse her. I think that was the biggest sacrifice I could ever make as a child because I was 12 years old at that time, and the most painful point of my life. But when I look back, I’m content that I gave my best to be there for her.
How did that experience change you? It changes the way you look at life. And that’s why I always find joy in celebrating every moment, because I was with her at that time, then she’s no more. The other moment that changed my life is when I joined Wildlife Conservation. I felt I needed to contribute to species recovery because, in Uganda, having read its history, I found we had 360 of them in 1967, and by 1983, they were all extinct. I said, ‘All this happened because I wasn’t there. Now that I’m here, I can’t let the opportunity slip out of my hands.’ It was a hard, lonely journey.
What do you still do exactly the way your mother taught you? She taught me resilience, especially through challenges. Because I know that I can face any adversity, and as long as there is still breath, there is still hope for tomorrow. Hope is such a wonderful thing, as exemplified by that book by Barack Obama, ‘The Audacity of Hope.’ Today is good, but I expect tomorrow to be better.
Speaking of, what book has most influenced the way you see the world? One is the Bible. I go in to look for little things that concern nature, conservation, and also the fate of mankind. It’s very fascinating and more up-to-date than tomorrow’s newspaper. The other book is about the art of doing great projects and why some projects fail, and why others succeed. The philosophy is simple: think, decide, and act. Take time to think in the planning phase. But when you go to execute, execute with speed.
Have animals made you a better husband or father? You must have the humility to be patient, to understand what the animals want. Now, when you translate all that to people management and people relationships, you find that you can connect with people deeply. Human beings want to be loved, and love is what you do, not what you say. Give me your time. Attend to me. Listen to me. And think beyond what my words are saying. These are things we can learn from animals. I have four daughters, which also lends to my tenderness.
What surprised you most about fatherhood? Fatherhood changes you. I’ve been so lucky to be involved in my children’s lives. I usually even tell my wife she’s pregnant before she gets to know. I’ve always been there in the labour world. I’ve seen the first cry, crawl, laughter, and their first steps. It’s quite humbling that you have an opportunity to raise another human being to achieve their destiny.
How do you take care of yourself in your me-time? There is a lot of character building because all of them are special, and women are quite different. They want time, they want attention, and I’ve had to divide my time to make sure that everybody is okay. But it’s all about love; in the end, it’s joyful. Because, one, you have five people who are loving you, and likewise, I also have to give love to the five ladies. That’s not simple. I forget their gifts sometimes during birthdays, and that becomes a problem. But they are in Uganda and I find I have a lot of time in my hands. My house has a very beautiful garden where I like sitting to refresh myself. It’s my headquarters, and if anybody needs me, they’ll find me there.
If you could have learned a lesson early in life, what would it have been? I would have loved somebody to tell me to enjoy every stage of life. Maybe we suffered a lot during childhood, but I don’t remember properly celebrating my childhood the way I should have. Because really, life is made of moments, and if you don’t celebrate today, you have lost it.
How are you remaining childlike in your life now? I love sitting and watching animals when they have just eaten, and they lie down to chew, especially cows. I can spend the whole day there just looking at them; I am fascinated by life.
What is the best advice you’ve received? My parents wanted me to be a medical doctor. And I went to my teacher, and I shared with him that I want to be a vet because that’s what I promised my mother. And he told me, ‘Follow your inner light.’ That was the best piece of advice I have received from anyone. I could easily have been driven away from my dream, and I am here today because of that very wonderful guidance given to me by my teacher.
How do you remain focused, especially in the world that we live in today, which is full of distractions? My biggest enemy is this thing [phone]. So I remind myself who I am and what I live for. There are some values I do not negotiate with the world. There are so many times opportunities will come your way, but you weigh them against what you stand for, and then you can discard what is not for you.
What’s your average screen time? Every week I aim to reduce it by 30 minutes because I set it to no more than two and a half hours. I don’t spend my energy on politics, fiction, and so on. I try to calm myself with things I can contribute to in a conversation.
What dreams have you let go of? I had a very promising career at the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) as a young man. I was earning more money, but it was not aligned with my purpose in life, so I let go of that. Also, as you are choosing partners, there are always going to be those that will come along who may be better than your partner. But the moment I met Harriet and I realised her values and mine were tied together, and our destiny was the same, I became focused.
Do you remember your first salary? I was earning Sh2,000 as a data entry clerk [chuckles]. And the guy was always calling people, ‘Come, see I have a doctor on my desk who is employed to get data.’ I don’t know if he did that to intentionally crush my spirit. But I was always sure tomorrow would be better than today. And with that Sh2,000, I would still take my fiancée out, buy chips, and share them in our house.
What’s a lesson you learnt about money then? Money can be a guest if you’re not careful. But if you treat it very well, it’s a guest who stays. You have to be very conscious of how you handle your money.
What habit are you trying to kick? I have a very bad habit of buying a lot of food every week to take home to cook. But I never cook. The biggest beneficiaries are my house helps who will come during the weekdays to set up my house and find food I bought last week, and they’d take it home. I find myself running almost the same budget that I run on my family in Uganda. And yet I’m not utilising all this food.
What habit has best served your life? Focus. Sometimes that can be a disadvantage to other people. For example, if I say we are passing through this grass, I can lose awareness that some people might not be able to pass through the grass. It is something that I’m now learning to ensure that those who work with me, those who follow me, at least can see the way to get there, not just my way.
What’s something you’re good at that not many people know? People don’t know that I’m a pastor. And that’s what shapes my decisions [chuckles]. I was ordained, but my best area of service is the marketplace, displaying God’s goodness, faith, and love.
What does a good time look like for you? I like playing football, supporting Manchester United as a rank-and-file premium member, and I like running. And nowadays I hike. I managed to summit Mount Kenya and Mt Kilimanjaro. I’m an outdoors person.
What’s your plan for the weekend? When I’m not working, Saturday is a day for treating myself and cleaning. I’ll go clean my car; every man should care for his car, and I give mine the greatest spa possible. Then I will go groom myself: trim my beard, they cut my nails et al. On Sunday, if there is no emergency at work, I’m in church from 7 to 9 am and perhaps read later. I especially like the Forbes recommended must-read list, and I’ll buy a book or two from that list.
What’s a question you wish more people asked you? I think many people don’t bother to know who I am. And I think you can celebrate my wins, losses, tears, and pain, but I think what’s most important is to honour the man.