A family in Naivasha is in agony after their son, who underwent traditional circumcision, was nearly maimed by ruffian youths who had gone to visit him eight months ago.
The tormentors, holding onto archaic initiation rites (aimed at instilling a steely character in the initiate) hit the 15-year-old several times in the head, leaving him fighting for his life.
The family lives in Karati, on the outskirts of Naivasha town.
His father, Joseph Kimani, is shattered by his last-born son’s condition as he fights back tears, dredging up painful memories.
“He stayed in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) for almost a month and two more months before we left the hospital,” he said.
Throughout his son’s stay in the hospital, Mr Kimani was by his bedside, as doctors worked round the clock to save the teenager’s life.
He barely slept in that period.
“I could sometimes cry my heart out. I was subjected to the situation by a group of rascals holding onto outdated cultural practices,” he said.
After three months at Kijabe Mission Hospital, the boy was discharged, having incurred a bill of Sh1.5 million, which the family cleared.
The boy was to undergo further therapy to help him regain the use of his limbs after the near-fatal incident.
Documents from the hospital show that the teenager suffered “diffuse traumatic brain injury with loss of consciousness greater than 24 hours”.
“He also suffered memory loss and cannot recall what transpired on the day he was attacked,” Mr Kimani said.
Sh5,000 every week
The family must hire a therapist to help the boy in his recovery, parting with nearly Sh5,000 every week.
“I have been forced to sell all my sheep to sustain my son. There is nothing more to dispose of and his condition is still a cause for concern,” added Mr Kimani.
Well-wishers have been helping out, but they, too, seem to have run out of cash given the harsh economic times.
“I was shocked to see the condition of my son, who earlier in the day was safe and sound. I am still traumatised,” the father said.
He said the boy was brutally beaten by his tormentors while the young man tasked to take care of him remained mum.
“I don’t understand why his mentor let the youths brutalise my son,” he said.
He reported the matter to the police, but the perpetrators have not been apprehended.
“I still meet with some of them roaming freely,” he disclosed.
Mr Kimani must carry his son from the house and place him in a wheelchair as he lost the use of his lower limbs.
Heart-wrenching
Watching him carry the boy is heart-wrenching.
He places him in the wheelchair and then stares at him, deep in thought, before shaking his head in utter disbelief.
It is a ritual he is accustomed to but one that has disoriented him.
Mr Kimani lost his casual job in a quarry after he took time off to care for his son. His wife is now the sole breadwinner of the family of four, two of whom are in secondary school.
“I have no source of income. My primary task now is to take care of my son. He needs 24-hour attention,” he said.
He hopes that his son will get specialised treatment so that he can fully recover and continue his studies.
As if lost in a trance, he stares blankly at the blue skies, deep in thought, clearly overwhelmed by what has happened to his son.
“I’m hurting,” he mumbles before lifting his son and taking him back into the house.
He hopes that with support from Good Samaritans, his son will be able to walk again, but for now he is financially constrained, hoping against hope that help will come. BY DAILY NATION