Masete Wanjui Mwasame, 86, from Kibagenge village, Waitaluk ward in Kiminini sub-county, Trans Nzoia county, is a desperate citizen needing financial help to offset his pending hospital bills and get a roof over his head.
While it is common for a man in his 80s to be surrounded by loved ones as they enjoy their sunset years, his is a tale of misery and solitude after his family abandoned him.
As Mwasame paced the corridors of Kitale Level Four hospital, he never imagined he would end up with a bevy of problems to add to his already distressful life.
In an interview with The Nairobian, the senior citizen recounted that a well-wisher helped him through to the hospital where he sought treatment. At the time, he had a swollen leg that had pus.
At the hospital, Doctor Dickens Omange who was attending to him prescribed that the leg aforementioned was non-functional since there was no blood circulation posing an infection that would certainly spread to the rest of the body if not dealt with.
He consequently recommended that the leg be amputated to save the old man’s life.
Owing to the surgery, Omange recommended that the man needed a prosthetic leg or a wheelchair to enable him to move and continue with his daily activities.
“We had to amputate him above the knee to avoid the spread of the infection to the rest of the body, and he is fairing on well despite the fact that he needs more support,” his doctor stated.
At the same time, Omange also noted that the old man was in dire need of a proper diet as well as support. He also called on relevant authorities and Kenyans to come to the man’s aid.
“We were told that he lives alone in a weak house that is almost collapsing and we are hence appealing to those who can help assist this old man,” the medical fraternity at the facility stated.
When questioned about his relatives, a teary Mwasame who can barely speak eloquently due to his advanced age recounted that his memory was fading and that he was unable to recall some members of his family, left for his only brother who was allegedly killed in Trans Nzoia.
At this point, the old man appealed to well-wishers to extend a helping hand so as to fulfil his dream of owning a house and having something to eat.
“I am an orphan, my only brother who was a chief in Trans Nzoia was killed, and I am just alone. I appeal to well-wishers to support me by building me a house,” an overwhelmed Mwasame said.
A neighbour, Fred Wanyonyi who spoke to the publication revealed that the old man was condemned to a life of solitude after his family deserted him alone in his mud-house room thatched with old black polythene bags that acted as a roof.
“He has a single sister who cannot even be traced. The man has been writhing in pain alone here and the sister is not a person of means, hence Mwasame has been deserted for long,” Wanyonyi said.
