This archive report was first published on 17 September 2019.
On September 17, 2019, a remarkable reunion took place in Ikumbi village, Kigumo Constituency, Murang'a County, Kenya.
Mr. Francis Muthua Chege, an 81-year-old man, had been away from home for an astonishing 51 years. His journey back home was facilitated by the ongoing evictions in the Mau Forest.
Mr. Chege left his home in 1968, when he was just 30 years old, without informing his wife, Wanjiru Muthua, and their six children. This left them with the agony of searching for him.
His wife, Wanjiru, had to look after their children alone while searching for him and checking with her in-laws. She once met him in Kisii town but was told he had relocated to an unknown place.
"My only option was to leave his whereabouts to God, pray for his protection, and hope that one day he would show up," Wanjiru said in an interview.
Mr. Chege's journey took him to various towns, including Kisii, Narok, and Kilgoris, where he tried his hand in business but was unsuccessful. He later turned to burning charcoal in the Mau Forest, settled, and even got married, but the union did not last long due to his drinking habits.
"I would burn charcoal and spend all the proceeds on alcohol. My second wife and my son could not tolerate my habits, so she called it off. I lived a miserable life and felt the shame of going back home with nothing," Mr. Chege said.
With the government's fresh eviction of settlers from the Mau Forest, Mr. Chege had no option but to return home. He went to Kilgoris Police Station and pleaded with the officers to give him bus fare to return to his natives.
After reaching Ikumbi shopping center, tired, hopeless, and confused, he slept by the road. Villager Monicah Gathoni spotted him near Ikumbi Primary school and thought he was hungry. She approached him, but he did not speak.
"He was worn out, sick, and seeking mercy. He told me he was trying to locate his home after leaving for many years. After describing his home, I paid a boda boda rider to take him there," Monicah said.
Mr. Chege's children, now much older and running their own businesses, arranged to go home when they heard of their father's return. Neighbours gathered in large numbers to ascertain that a man who left while a youth had returned.
The family and the village slaughtered goats and organized a feast to welcome Mr. Chege and give thanks for the reunion.
