By ALLAN OLINGO

If they could jump, they would have. If they could dance, they would have raised dust. Though they were not able to jump or dance, their faces, eyes and smiles radiated the dance going on inside their hearts.

Innocent and full of excitement, their confinement in wheelchairs would not stop them from cheering up as Zachary Muturi Kimotho (he of ‘Bring back Zack home’ fame) wheeled by. They had no idea who Zack was but they knew he had goodies for them, and with this in mind, nothing could shake their faith.

 “I have heard that he is bringing good things to our country and I am very happy,” little Tonpei, seated in a wheelchair outside AIC Kajiado Girls’ Primary School, whispered as she was wheeled to join Zack.

As Zack went past Isinya on his way to Kajiado town, locals donned in their traditional shukas gave him a befitting welcome, offering to push him as others sang and danced energetically. Their melody drew more people to the procession.

A resident who did not have money with him stopped Zack and gave him a goat. He was touched by the ‘Bring Zack back Home’ initiative, which is out to raise funds for the construction of Kenya’s first and only spinal injuries rehabilitation centre. So far, Kenyans have raised more than Sh55 million in just 20 days (as per yesterday).

Great generosity

Zack is optimistic that Kenyans, who are known for their great generosity, will raise the whole amount needed, Sh250 million, even before he crosses the first border, to Tanzania, on his way to South Africa.

Zack was shot and injured by thugs in 2004. The incident left him paralysed and confined to a wheelchair.

“The injury damaged my spine and I was not able to attend proper rehabilitation, as there is no spinal cord rehabilitation centre in Kenya,” he shares.

On embarking on this journey — wheeling his way to South Africa to raise the money needed for the facility — Zack did not fear the dangerous condition of our roads but careless drivers.

On his journey, Zack has an ambulance in front and a security van behind. The security van usually signals drivers to slow down but many are in a hurry.

“Sometimes drivers are advised to slow down but they don’t. They overtake only to cut in front of me. I have had three encounters and it is very sad,” he says.

There are between 50,000 and 75,000 persons living with disability in Kenya with 15,000 new incidences recorded annually.

“When you become paraplegic, emotionally you become  drained. You used to walk then you have to change and accept it. It happened to me and I felt this wasn’t the right thing, especially because we lack rehabilitation centres,” says Zack.

The nearest centre for Zack and thousands others for rehabilitation is in South Africa, with the other facility being in Cairo, Egypt. The cost of individual rehabilitation is between Sh5 million and Sh30 million. This is a huge amount and unaffordable for many Kenyans facing the same predicament.

Short lifespan

“It is very sad that most of paraplegic patients have a shorter lifespan because they fall into depression and some even commit suicide. This should not be the case. They need rehabilitation so that they can be full of life again,” he says.

Tim Wanyonyi Wetangula was lucky to have gone through rehabilitation in Brussels after gangsters shot him in 1998 confining him to a wheelchair.

“It was difficult for me to accept my new condition. Doubts and uncertainties coursed through my mind about the future. One of the main challenges that spinal cord injury patients face is transition through the traumatic period, where they have to accept reality,” says  Mr Wanyonyi.

After a road accident at the Githurai roundabout in 2010, Abdulrahman Mohamed never went through rehabilitation, something, he says, is a must for all spinal injury patients.

“After spending 45 days in hospital, I was discharged and sent home. Then the reality dawned on me. It was so hard to accept my condition. I went to the National Spinal Injury Hospital for rehabilitation and I had to wait for two months because the 40-bed capacity hospital was full, with about 200 patients on the waiting list. It was traumatising,” says Mr Mohamed.

Wanyonyi says when you go for rehabilitation abroad, you are taught relevant skills necessary for the day-to-day life to enable you go about your activities in a near-to-normal way.

“Sadly this is not the case in Kenya yet road accidents are almost the highest killers and source of disability within our country.”

Lack of psychological rehabilitation and occupational therapy makes many patients lose hope

It is estimated that the life expectancy of spinal injury patients in developed countries is at par with that of normal people but in developing countries, most of them pass on three years after getting paraplegic.

Countries like Canada, with the least of fatal road accidents, have more than 20 rehabilitation centres.