Yesterday, popular comedian Dr. Ofweneke appeared on the Churchill Show and narrated a heart-wrenching story of how he was abandoned by his mother days after he was born.
Revealing that he was born in 1991 at Pumwani Hospital in Nairobi, Ofweneke disclosed that he was raised entirely by his father after his mother dumped him on the stairs at their home and left.
The emotion was visible as he told the story, wiping away tears as he looked back on his journey from the informal settlements of Mathare to the pinnacle of comedy in Kenya.
“If I go 29 years back, I was a small boy born to David Sunday and the late Jennifer Atieno in a small house separated by a bed-sheet, with a bed on one side and a kitchen on the other.
“That’s where I was born, in Mathare where my parents used to live. In Pumwani Hospital. I was told that we didn’t have money at the time and my mum shared a hospital bed with another woman. My mum broke a thermos and the hospital actually held me until they brought a new thermos,” Ofweneke disclosed.
He revealed that his father stopped drinking soon after he was born, explaining how the decision changed the course of their lives.
“I think my dad was too high to remember that his child had been born. I know he’s watching. One thing I’ll always respect is that he made the decision to stop drinking the day I was born, he decided to be a better man.
“So when I was taken home he was high as usual, but I don’t think his relationship with my mum was in a good place. So a week after my birth, there’s a place my dad used to pass by in Mathare and drink a bottle of Pilsner before coming home.
“So on that day, he had just opened his first Pilsner to drink when the house help came and told him that Atty (Ofweneke’s mother) had gone and left the baby on the stairs. So by the time my dad leaves that place and comes home, he finds neighbours taking care of me after they found me on the stairs,” he stated.
Ofweneke revealed the deep respect and admiration he had for his father because he raised him alone, noting that they referred to each other as ‘bro’ due to the close nature of their relationship.
“A week after my birth, mum leaves and I was left with dad. One reason I respect him so much is that he shouldered two burdens, not one.
“My father has fought battles. This guy, you hear me calling him ‘my boy’ because we call each other bro. This guy has fought battles. God might not have given him everything, but he gave him patience, resilience and a tough heart.
“I’ve watched him raise my uncles and aunties, and also me. Dad wherever you are, I just want to say in this interview that you’re an amazing gentleman and I’m proud to say that you’re my dad,” the comedian stated while wiping away tears.
Ofweneke is one of the most sought after comedians in the country. He has hosted television talk shows and emceed countless corporate events in addition to performing at various live shows.
Recent editions of Churchill have seen a spotlight cast on the careers of many popular comedians whose skills were honed at the show, with Jemutai and Eric Omondi among those featured so far.
Watch him narrate part of his story below:
