Briton who built health centres in Western Kenya dies a pauper

Barry Leonard at his home in Malava, Kakamega County. [Chrispen Sechere, Standard]

A British-born man who has been living in abject poverty in Kakamega County has succumbed to cancer of the ear after a long period of sickness.

Barry Leonard, died at his humble home in Malava, Kakamega North sub-county at the age of 80 after battling the disease that had rendered him immobile for months.

Barry was diagnosed with an ulcerated right ear swelling in 2017 and has been under medication for the past two years.

Barry came to the country in 1976 after the British and Kenyan governments signed a deal to send professional builders to help in the construction industry. He was then posted to western Kenya.

He is believed to have overseen the construction and upgrading of several hospitals including St Luke's Hospital-Kaloleni, Dreamland Medical Centre Kaptola-Kimilili, Nala Community Hospital-Kakamega, Sirisia, Naitiri, Mautuma and Sio Port health centres.

In a previous interview, the holder of two PhDs in Building Science, and Commercial Science and Special Building Technology, narrated how the Government requested him to prolong his stay in the country after he had accomplished his professional obligations.

He said when he arrived in Kenya, there were few professional builders in the country.

From his work, Barry amassed a lot of wealth with land being one of his major possessions before applying for Kenyan citizenship.

Barry married in 1978 at a colourful ceremony conducted at the Anglican Church of Kenya in Kakamega.

However, the union only lasted for a short while.

In one of the interviews with The Standard, Barry expressed the frustrations that made him fall from grace to grass.

"When I was to leave Kenya for Britain, I received a directive from one of my bosses that the former Head of State had insisted I stay longer. Though at the time I was informed it sounded strange, I decided to stay longer since I had found love here,” he said.

Barry, who lived his twilight years in abject poverty coupled with a series of illnessess, hardly had anything to eat.

His first-born son, a boda boda rider, would feed him alongside contributions from neighbours and well-wishers.

Poverty took a toll on him prompting  neigbours to make contributions to build him a mud-walled single-roomed hut to live in.

The village is now struggling to come to terms with the death of the one time influential man who touched the lives of many through his architectural services and philanthropic activities.

According to his son, there was no money to take him to the hospital and Barry had resigned his life to fate.

"The old man has suffered a lot. We accept God’s will to relieve him of such pains,” said the son.

He appealed for Government aid to help the family foot burial expenses.