President Uhuru Kenyatta’s retirement is fast approaching after leading Kenyans for the last 10 years since 2013. He is only left with less than a week to go home.
The fourth president of Kenya is not only set to take home a hefty package of benefits from the government but also gifts from some of those that have been touched by his service for the years he has been in power like 36-year old Lilian Kali from Mikinjeni village in Bamba ward, Kilifi County.
Lilian is among the people who have benefitted from a road project initiated by President Kenyatta. His term in office saw the tarmacking of the 51km Mariakani-Bamba road commence in 2016 and the project was completed in 2017.
For the longest time, the road had been a pain in the necks of the locals. The poor condition of the road saw Lilian lose her mother back in 2005 after she developed post delivery complications.
“We rushed my mother to Bamba Health Centre but she did not get treatment, forcing us to go to Mariakani Health Centre. But on our way, it started raining heavily and the vehicle got stuck,” Lilian told a local daily.
The weather condition worsened forcing the family to carry their mother and walk on foot to Mariakani, a distance of 40km. The journey took them three days. The patient was very weak and eventually died before receiving any treatment.
The hospital had no functional morgue thus forcing the family to carry the deceased’s body back home for burial after getting necessary requirements authorities.
“We started trekking, mourning as we carried our dead mum on the muddy and bumpy road and in the rains, and it took us four days to get home in Bamba. The body was decomposing, and no one wanted to move close to her. Even some family members stayed away. Her body was stuffed in a polythene bag and then hurriedly buried ” Kali recalled.
Because of the painful experience, Kali vowed to gift anyone who would construct the road, to save her community, with livestock and the president did just that. From her charcoal business she saved enough to buy 10 young turkeys that she has been rearing.
The turkeys are now fully grown turkey and valued at Kshs100,000. Kali is requesting president Kenyatta to go and pick them as a reward for the Mariakani-Bamba road project.
“A turkey is a proud bird. I like the way they swing in pride when they see a person. I did not want to buy a goat because maybe he eats goat meat every day. A turkey is a unique bird to gift someone of his stature,” Kali said.
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