Benson Mbundi had always wanted to continue his education abroad, and when he was given a full scholarship to attend a university in Texas, USA, his dreams almost came true.
According to reports, Mbundi, who received a C+ on his KCSE examinations in 1999, submitted a successful application for the Electronic Diversity Visa Program (Green Card).
Mbundi traveled upcountry to Bobasi Constituency in Kisii County a month before his intended departure date to attend a relative’s funeral.
Mbundi’s mother claimed that her kid started having regular headaches, lost weight, and grew to have weak limbs.
His mother described the incident, pointing out how the family had taken Mbundi to numerous hospitals in vain. When Mbundi’s star was set to shine, he briefly fell into a comma.
“He started experiencing headaches before falling seriously sick,” his mother stated.
Efforts by doctors to restore Mbundi’s strength in his limbs, especially his legs, were futile as he became paralysed.
“If anyone is not around to move him back into the house, he can get rained on. He has really suffered,” the tearful mother stated.
In a bid to salvage Mbundi’s opportunity to travel to the US, the family sold their property to cater to his medical services and seek different opinions from various hospitals. This, however, did not come to be as Mbundi’s situation got worse.
Staying at home on his mattress, Mbundi could not move from one place to another without assistance – his opportunity to further his studies abroad slipped away.
24 years later, Mbundi still lives with the illness – with no hopes in sight. He pleaded with Kenyans to support him buy a wheelchair.
In addition, he urged Kisii Governor Simba Arati to help his family ( in particular, his children) access education.
