State hands President's gift house to poor family of seven

The house in Murunyu village, Bahati, Nakuru, that the President had given to a poor family. [Joseph Kipsang, Standard]

A rejected house that President Uhuru Kenyatta had built for a Nakuru family was yesterday handed to someone else.

The family of Charles Macharia Gachie, a single father of six, was over the moon after Rift Valley Regional Coordinator Mongo Chimwanga ushered them into their new dwelling.

Mr Macharia, 58, has been living with his four sons and two daughters in an iron sheet house located in the compound of Unfolding Glory Ministries Church.

“I got married in 1990 and our first three children died from various illnesses. We got six more children, three of whom are disabled. My wife and I had no job and raising them was a challenge,” said Macharia.

The man said the family had been renting a house in Teacher's estate, but with no job or source of income, life had become difficult that his wife left last April.

“I met with Bishop Elizabeth Musili, who offered shelter for my family at the church. My wife could not bear the challenges of bringing up the children, especially the disabled ones. She left me without a word,” said Macharia.

His oldest son, Stephen Mwangi, is 27 years old. The other children are Rahab Njoki 20; John Kabugi, 17; Ayub Njuguna, 14; Michael Njoru, 12; and Esther Mwihaki, 6.

Charles Macharia (second right) and his six children in their new house in The in Murunyu village, Bahati, yesterday. [Joseph Kipsang, Standard]

Physical therapy

Macharia said Njuguna, Njoru and Mwihaki are physically challenged but had been getting therapy and their condition had improved.

He said the chief called him last week and told him to pray because his family and two others had been shortlisted for a gift from the Government. On Friday, he got the good news that he would get a house.

“I could not believe what the chief was saying until Government officials came to pick me up. I had not seen the house before and was surprised when we arrived. It is the best gift I have ever received,” said Macharia.

The two-bedroom house had initially been meant for the family of Damaris Wambui, whose son, Dennis Ngaruiya, had in 2014 left President Kenyatta in stitches after presenting a poem before him at the 3rd Kenya Rifles Battalion barracks in Lanet.

But last week, Ms Wambui rejected the house, claiming that State House officials tasked with managing the project had shortchanged her family by constructing a house “not worthy as a gift from the Head of State”.

Mr Chimwanga yesterday said his office had received instructions from top Government officials to hand over the house to a needy family that the local administrators and clerics would agree on.

“We collected the profiles of three needy families and Macharia’s was the lucky one. He was the most needy, which warranted his being gifted,” said Chimwanga, adding that another benefactor had offered to provide the family with milk for the next few months as they settled in.

The Macharia family's former home. [Joseph Kipsang, Standard]

Members of the Unfolding Glory Ministries Church shared in the joy of the Macharia family. Bishop Musili and her flock congregated inside the new house during a service that was attended by senior Government officials.

“I have never thought I could own such property. Not in any of my best dreams. I dreamt of owning a home, but not of this class,” said Macharia.

Kitchen garden

Before the first sunset, the family had already established a kitchen garden, planting various types of vegetables in the backyard.

There was no word from the Government officials about the fate of Wambui, who lives with her son, a Form Four student, in a single mud-walled room for which she pays Sh1,200 rent a month.