Nairobi Forest Road cemetery - Elizabeth Leakey, British, died 5/3/25

Curtis In order to raise some capital, Leakey then took a number of farm jobs, while Elizabeth and their children lived on land he owned at Mbagathi. He worked first on a coffee plantation at Ruiru and then was appointed manager of another coffee estate at Kiambu. Meanwhile he had applied to the Governor for permission to exchange his Laikipia land for 5 small farms at Kiganjo, near Nyeri, which had not been taken up. Eventually the request was granted and the 5 farms were consolidated into a single holding of 936 acres to which he was given title. He was required to start developing it within 3 years. Elizabeth meanwhile managed the Mbagathi farm, but was not in good health. Suddenly, in March 1925, she suffered a burst appendix and died.

Leakey was left with the children to look after. He managed to arrange for his son Nigel and daughter Agnes to go to England with the Harry Leakeys and live there with relatives while they went to school. Robert and Rae stayed in Kenya and went to the European School in Nairobi. Leakey then settled down to raising funds again by taking another job as manager of a coffee farm near his own land at Mbagathi.