Gibson Gathu Mbugua, who starred as a prosecutor in the long-running TV comedy series Vioja Mahakamani, will finally get the aid he requires.
Mr Mbugua, also known as kiongozi wa mashtaka from his prosecutor on the show, has been delivering punchlines and bringing the best out of comedians for almost four decades and is slated for a kidney transplant early next month.
In a medical fundraiser held in Nairobi on Saturday, the actor pleaded for Kenyans to help him stay on his feet.
Mr Mbugua told Nation that he needed to raise Sh6 million for the transplant, which he said will take place in the first week of July at the Mediheal facility in Eldoret.
He claimed to Nation that President Uhuru Kenyatta sent Sh2 million during the fundraiser, which was held at Charter Hall inside the Nairobi County building on Muindi Mbingu Mbugua street.
“President Kenyatta who is a good friend did send his personal donation of Sh2 million. We as a family and the committee thank him for the support,” he said.
He went on to say that they came close to meeting their goal after receiving support from local artists as well as Kenyans living abroad.
He’s been battling diabetes for a while, and his kidney failure is set to occur in 2020.
He revealed that the donor is a relative, but he chose to remain anonymous. He emphasized that the transplant should allow him to continue acting, which he has done for the majority of his adult life.
“Dialysis is expensive. Your insurance cover gets exhausted and you start spending off your pocket. You know, insurance is limited. Every day you visit, the dialysis is from Sh10,000 and you have to go three times a week,” he said.
“And they don’t pay for the third. So that has forced me to dig into my pockets and that has drained family finances. So, I saw that if I get a transplant, my life will get back to normal and I will do my work.”
He aims to raise Sh6 million through the fundraiser, and says the money will mostly be for post-surgery care.
“Actually, the cost of surgery is not that expensive. What is expensive is the post-surgery care because those drugs are very expensive,” he said.
“The anti-rejection drugs are very expensive, and there is no use having a transplant while I can’t get the drugs, which I’ll consume for the rest of my life. That’s why we need Sh6 million for the post-care.”
Vioja Mahakamani is one of Kenya’s pioneer comedy series and one of the country’s most popular television shows. The show has been broadcast for over 25 years on Kenya Broadcasting Corporation (KBC).
