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| Ministry of Water and Sanitation nominee Eric Muriithi Muga |
For the family of Eric Muriithi Muga, the naming of their 32-year-old son as CS for Water, pending parliamentary approval, is a classic case of God’s work and a big blessing never thought of before.
That their son, born and bred in Athi, Igembe South, Meru county and without any political network, was to be named a CS is something the father and mother say they couldn’t dream of.
In an interview with NTV, Benson Mugaa painted a picture of a family that has tested poverty and clung to hope for a better tomorrow.
“When people talk about having political connections, ours has none to boast of. I am not aware of any powerful politician who knows our family,” Benson said.
He narrated that life has been challenging for them given that with scant resources, they had to work extra hard to see their children get quality education.
“We faced a lot of challenges when educating him. We had to engage in casual labour. It was also challenging because he had many siblings,” his father narrated.
“To be honest, our family is very humble. We never had a learned person ahead of us who could pave the way for us because I also only made it to class seven.”
The father narrates that Eric’s intelligence and prowess in academics gave them the much-needed hope to dream of a better future.
He was the hope of a family.
To him, Benson has been a humble and hard-working man, right from his childhood, adding that the appointment is more of a miracle to the family.
“To be honest, our family is very humble, we never had a learned person ahead of us who could pave the way for us, because I also only made it to class seven,” Benson said.
“Eric does all the work, even here on the farm. He works humbly and diligently.”
Eric’s emotional mother Tabitha Mugaa on the other hand is short of words and full of gratitude.
As the news of her son permeated every corner of the village, Tabitha said things have never been the same.
“Since his nomination, my name in the community has changed. People stopped addressing me as Mama Mwenda. Mwenda is my firstborn son. They now address me as Mama Waziri or Mama CS,” she said proudly.
She welcomed the son’s appointment with an open heart even as she assured President William Ruto that he had gotten it right in picking her son for the docket.
“Even during his adulthood, Eric has always been humble, even when he came home to visit us, he always took time to split the firewood for me,” she said.
Tabitha is hopeful that Eric’s appointment will come with a bag of goodies, not only to them but also to the rest of the community which she says has been yearning for such an opportunity to shine.
His brother, Reuben Mugaa, said Eric deserved the nomination to cabinet as his academic excellence and experience align with the mandate of the docket.
“When I compare him to the previous people who occupied that office. He is a change because he is qualified in the field,” he said.
Area residents also expressed immense expectations from the nominee saying he needs to address the issue of water shortage in the constituency should he assume office.
“We pray that he addresses water issues, not just in our constituency but nationwide,” said Newton Murungi, a resident.
by DANVICTOR MUNENE