After being disciplined by his uncles as a teenager in 1969, a man who fled eventually went back home.
He claims that the uncles beat him and threw a basket full of pepper on his head, prompting him to flee his hometown in search of safety.
After working as a herdsman in Kitui County, Njeru Mwiru from Gachiongo community in Tharaka Nithi County emerged with a sack full of his clothes.
He claimed that in addition to working other menial tasks to support himself, he gave his skills as a farmhand to at least four families.
When they noticed him aging, one household he had lived with for ten years looked for his relatives.
“He realized the man is getting old and began looking for his family. He communicated with us and the search began. It was a hard task but eventually, we found Njeru’s family,” the area official reported.
The son whom Njeru took care of in Kitui was an assistant chief who through the help of other government officials managed to trace Njeru’s family.
His relatives could not contain their excitement after reuniting with their kin who on several occasions was reported to have passed away.
“Our kin is back, we are very happy. He looks like our father,” Njeru’s sister said overjoyed.
“I am happy my brother is back. We will incorporate him into our lives again. We love him and we will continue to do so,” his brother added.
According to the family, they had moved from village to village in search of their lost brother. New members of the family including Njeru’s sisters-in-law were all involved in the search.
“I got married in 1988, my husband told me one of his brothers was lost in 1969. I tagged along in the search for Njeru out the county,” Njeru’s sister-in-law recalled.
During his time away from home, Njeru neither married nor sired children.
