Page 34 - The Gazette Autumn 2023

34 The Gazette QARANC Association
Sebastian Mwaura:
‘Being a QA trustee is
a way to give back’
The QARANC Association’s new trustee, SSgt Sebastian Mwaura, started his army career as a chef and jokes that his legendary curries once gained him a promotion! Gazette editor Steve Bax finds out more about him.
There are many routes into the British Army. Sebastian Mwaura began his in Kenya, having been born into a rural town called Kamwangi, some 61km from the capital Nairobi. His father was a building site foreman, and his mother had her hands full at home raising Sebastian and his five siblings.
The Catholic Church was important in the life of Sebastian and his family, and he initially harboured ideas about becoming a Catholic priest when he grew up. Serving the community was Sebastian’s main driver and his thoughts turned to healthcare.
He explains, “I wanted to work in health. I had a passion for healthcare but despite all my efforts I couldn’t break into it. They would take people with lower marks to study nursing but as I had done well in school, they insisted not to waste that opportunity and urged me to study at the University.
“I studied BSc Foods, nutrition and dietetics, which was the nearest I could get to the health sector. I liked it because I used to get placements in hospitals talking to patients about nutrition.
“As a nutritionist, you need to know what ingredients are in foods, for example how sauces are made and things like that. If I was talking to somebody who needed to cut their cholesterol levels, I would need to know everything that was in their food. So, I learned to be a good chef as well.”
Even at this early stage, the army was never far away – with Kifaru Barracks, the British Army Training Unit in Kenya, being situated next to his Kenyatta University.
Sebastian finished university in 1999 and did temporary jobs, including tarmacking and working in the hotel industry. He came to the UK in 2003 to study for an MBA (Health Executive). However, just before starting university a friend gave him the idea that he could join the military and still complete his studies.
He went to the career centre and
was accepted. Sebastian joined the British Army in 2004 as a chef, as the Army felt that they could utilise his nutritional qualifications to the best effect in this role. He completed basic training and a Phase 2 Chef Trade qualification, before being posted to 33 Field Hospital in Gosport.
One of the things that still shocks me to this day is all the swearing!
got promoted to Lance Corporal. Another hugely significant thing which happened in his life was that his girlfriend from the university joined him in the UK after getting married in Kenya. Today they have three children aged 15, 12 and eight.
Sebastian was posted to Newbury and Cirencester, before transferring to study nursing for three years, at Birmingham City University, completing his training in 2015. As a qualified military nurse, he was posted to and work at Frimley Park and then at Queen Alexandra Hospital in Portsmouth.
He completed a master of science degree in occupational and environmental health and safety management at the University of Portsmouth. Sebastian got a posting at Colchester to do primary
healthcare, finally reaching his goal of being a Primary Health Care nurse.
How does England compare to Kenya? Sebastian jokes, “One of the things that still shocks me to this day is all the swearing!” Nonetheless I do like the courtesy. He adds, “I am so grateful to the Army for everything it has given me in life. I have enjoyed a stable career, I
Sebastian was there from 2005-08 and