This archive report was first published on 20 September 2019.
On Thursday, Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko and his Sonko Rescue Team made a surprise visit to the home of Gilbert Otyeng', a 16-year-old disabled boy from Busia County.
Gilbert's story had captured the nation's imagination after pictures of him crawling to school went viral on social media. He crawls 1.5km to St Dominic Aderema Primary School daily due to lack of a wheelchair.
During the visit, Governor Sonko and his team paid school fees to cover Gilbert's entire primary school education, provided him with goods to last the entire month, and gifted him a wheelchair to ease his mobility.
Gilbert, who aspires to be a famous doctor in the future, had been facing a daily ordeal of crawling to school, returning home for lunch, and then crawling back in the evening.
"Waking up each day to crawl to school has been such a tormenting experience to me," Gilbert narrated. "I must go back home for lunch and return for the lessons in the afternoon and then home in the evening."
According to Gilbert's mother, Rosa Pali, he was disabled at the age of five, and his life took a torturous turn.
Netizens took to social media to congratulate Governor Sonko for his big heart and bless him with numerous good wishes.
