This archive report was first published on 9 September 2019.
Deputy President William Ruto has a unique portrait hanging in his office, courtesy of Nairobi artist Geoffrey Lubia.
However, what makes Lubia's story even more remarkable is that he has been eating cockroaches for the past three years.
According to Lubia, he started eating cockroaches after his makeshift hotel in Nairobi's Upper-hill area was demolished to pave way for road expansion.
"I was left with nothing. Things got thick. My wife and children went back to Kakamega leaving me behind to hustle in the city," he said.
He added that life became unbearable, pushing him to the limit, and it was hunger that led him to eat cockroaches to fill his stomach.
Despite his struggles, Lubia has been honing his artistic skills, which he believes are inborn.
He painted an airbrush portrait of Deputy President Ruto, inspired by his story of humble beginnings, and has been keeping it for two years, waiting for the right moment to present it to him.
