Samuel Muigai Muraya, 50, a father of six with his son Erick Mburu, during an interview at his home in Dagoretti on February 25, 2019. He has lost four children to kidney failure. [David Njaaga,Standard]
When The Standard highlighted the plight of Erick Muraya, a Standard Seven pupil with kidney disease in dire need of a transplant on February 27, the family was relieved. A few days later, an anonymous well-wisher called the office of the Council of Governors requesting for help to get in touch with Muraya.
However, despite The Standard giving the apparent well-wisher the phone number of Samuel Muigai, Muraya's father a month ago, Muigai says no help has gone their way, and neither has anyone made contact.
According to CoG, the individual who called to volunteer to cover Muraya's treatment costs insisted on remaining unknown.
"No one has gotten in touch with me. All I want is help getting treatment for my son, nothing else," Mr Muigai told The Standard.
Muigai cannot afford Muraya's treatment. He has been bankrupted by the treatment costs for his other four children, who eventually died of kidney-related complications in their teenage.
Last year, after the sickly Muraya was diagnosed with a kidney disease, Muigai had to step back from running his retail business in Kawangware, Nairobi, to care for him full-time, taking him to hospital and preparing the special meals recommended by the doctor. Muigai is the sole breadwinner and primary caretaker of his remaining two children, after his wife left him.
Muraya is undergoing kidney dialysis at the Kenyatta National Hospital, attending two sessions a week.