This archive report was first published on 24 December 2019.
On a chilly morning, I ushered my young son into a glass cubicle at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, eager to reunite him with his mother who lives six hours away.
However, our travel plans were soon derailed when the check-in counter officers informed us that our passport and visa details did not match, thanks to the new generation E-passports that had invalidated our old ones.
Explaining the situation to my five-year-old son was a daunting task, but he listened intently, nodding his head as I tried to make him understand.
When I asked him if he understood why we had to go back home and come another day, he replied with a flat 'NO' that bordered on tears and tantrums.
It was a long day, with every little thing he asked me to do coming with the follow-up question of 'after that we go to the airport to see mom?'
It was a question that cut me deep, and every reminder that the day was moving without us heading out crushed me.
But thanks to Mr. Murunga, a hero who went the extra mile and sent an email to the other airport explaining our situation, we were eventually cleared for take-off and my son was able to meet his mother.
It was a situation I would not wish on any parent, where you've built so much hope in your child then all that starts crumbling down right before your eyes.
It made me reflect on a past experience where my mother promised me something I longed to have and broke the deal, leaving me feeling let down but ultimately leading to my upward trajectory into the man I am now.
