An 84-year-old Kenyan man returned home this week after living in the United States for 60 years.
James Mugweru went to the US in 1959 through the educational airlift program organized by the late Tom Mboya and Senator John F. Kennedy, who was later elected as the 35th US president and assassinated in 1963.
During his six-decade stay in the US, Mugweru visited Kenya only two times in 1962 and 1974, after which he lost communication with his family back in Kenya.
In March last year, a young Kenyan man approached Christine Muchene alias ‘Madame President’, the Founder and CEO of Shiloh Afrique Foundation in Atlanta, Georgia asking her to help him trace his grandfather, whom he had never seen in his life.
With the help of the internet, Ms. Christine traced the octogenarian to a facility for Senior Citizens in Union City, Georgia.
Christine took the old man to the Kenyan American Community Church (KACC) headed by Bishop Dr. GG Gitahi where members contributed money to purchase his flight ticket back to Kenya.
Mugweru left the US on Wednesday, February 19th and landed at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in Nairobi on Thursday, February 20th.
At the airport, Mugweru received a rousing reception from family members and villagers who traveled there to welcome back their long-lost son. A homecoming party was also held at the family’s home in Nakuru County.
Mugweru has two living siblings aged 100 and 80 who could not hide their joy after the arrival of their lost brother.
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Eeeeer...did this guy want to return? Or did you guys force him? Who will care for him in Kenya? He is 84 and was doing fine in the retirement home as seen here.
Very bad idea.
How can he be forced when he has all the required needed to stay here. This type of negativity is serious.
No wonder Kenya is poor. The inability to think critically or otherwise! Godamnit!
Everything he needs? Alichangiwa ticket to start. He is 84. Hana NSSF, NHIF...will you put him on your budget?
Actually, he might live better in Kenya on social security which am sure Pays for retirement home. Maybe yoll can float that to him. If he gets like $1000 a month, that is good living in Kenya. Plus the US' greatness is that there will be no delay...like clockwork, money in account every first day of the month. Sasa ni wizi tutaogopa....Kenyans are thieves.
Find him a good place, connect him with Nairobi Hospital or Gertrudes (hospitals approved for US citizens) and he can live around family, happily.
Seneca, I have a feeling he already collects checks from the ssa. If he is, as I suspect, a US citizen he can still receive these checks in Kenya. At an average of $1413 per month, he is earning around KES 140000 per month which translates to around 1.7 million shillings. The average wage earner makes less than half that annually. The question I ask is who benefits and will they care for him well. If so then he will live better in Kenya.
If not then I fear he will never be allowed to die - I can see this scam coming.
If not then I fear he will never be allowed to die - I can see this scam coming.
welcome to Africa mzeeh
I think it's the best thing that happened to him to go back home and to still find his brothers whoa...home is always the best.
Two way ticket I hope. t\Taking him away from his home of 60yrs. who will pay for hip replacement if he needs one here in Kenya? Back in the US the trump govt would pay.
Hakupata msichana wa kuoa huko Marikani!
May be he was married, serarated,divorced, or just loves single life...
He lost his wife a few years ago. He was so much affected by her death. May she RIP.
@yakobo do you know if he had children?
Welcome back home mzee Mugweru. You made a lifetime decision. I just wish you had made that decision earlier. Living in squalor surrounded by uncultured, palatable and the so called retirement-home-to-nursing-home-to-funeral-home-to-closest-cemetery.
Ushujaa wako wa kukata kauri ya kurudi makwenu ni jambo la kujivunia na la kutia motisha kwa Wakenya wengi ambayo litajwalo swala la kurudi makwao, linaleta kero, zogo, na matusi mengi ilhali maisha yao Marekani fedheha tupu.
Nitembeleapo jopo, sherehe au kongamano ya Wakenya wengi katika sehemu kadha wa kadha, nawaona wengi wa rika lako na sampuli yako wakijikokota na mikongojo dalili kwamba, kazi waliokuwa wakifanya walipokuwa miaka 20, 30, 40, 50 na kadhalika ndio hio hio wanayofanya wakiwa vidubweshe vikongwe wanaotetemeka kama tinga tinga zee zee iliofika mwisho wa ukiriba.
Nikiyarusha rusha macho yangu kwingineko, nawaona wengine kadhaa ambao tayari walevi wa kuombewa, wengine wakisemezana kwamba, kwa muda wa miezi kadhaa iliyopita, makao yao ilikuwa mle magarini mwao, au huishi nje kama wanyama huku baridi au joto kali ikiwachuja chuja na kuwasokota sokota bila huruma. Kisa na maana? Kazi kesha wachomoka. Kisa na maana? Maisha kesha kwenda mrama. Inapofika wakati, ndugu zetu hawana chochote mbele na nyuma cha kuwawezesha warudi makwao.
Sitaki kuwa mnabii wa uwongo lakini ni muhimu kusema hapa bayana kwamba, hata kama mambo yako yote yamo Marekani, fikiria kidogo tu kuhusu makwenu sababu chochote chaweza kutoka.
Ni jambo la kuchukiza unapowaona wale Wakenya wanaopiga domo eti kwamba Kenya kuna ufisadi, woooo Kenya ni kwa wahuni, woooo Wakenya watakutapeli kwa hili na lile, wao wao au jamaa zao ndio wanasisitiza kwamba wakifa wachangiwe wachangiwe wazikwe Jamhuri. Kicheko na fedheha ya upusi na ushenzi.
Ushujaa wako wa kukata kauri ya kurudi makwenu ni jambo la kujivunia na la kutia motisha kwa Wakenya wengi ambayo litajwalo swala la kurudi makwao, linaleta kero, zogo, na matusi mengi ilhali maisha yao Marekani fedheha tupu.
Nitembeleapo jopo, sherehe au kongamano ya Wakenya wengi katika sehemu kadha wa kadha, nawaona wengi wa rika lako na sampuli yako wakijikokota na mikongojo dalili kwamba, kazi waliokuwa wakifanya walipokuwa miaka 20, 30, 40, 50 na kadhalika ndio hio hio wanayofanya wakiwa vidubweshe vikongwe wanaotetemeka kama tinga tinga zee zee iliofika mwisho wa ukiriba.
Nikiyarusha rusha macho yangu kwingineko, nawaona wengine kadhaa ambao tayari walevi wa kuombewa, wengine wakisemezana kwamba, kwa muda wa miezi kadhaa iliyopita, makao yao ilikuwa mle magarini mwao, au huishi nje kama wanyama huku baridi au joto kali ikiwachuja chuja na kuwasokota sokota bila huruma. Kisa na maana? Kazi kesha wachomoka. Kisa na maana? Maisha kesha kwenda mrama. Inapofika wakati, ndugu zetu hawana chochote mbele na nyuma cha kuwawezesha warudi makwao.
Sitaki kuwa mnabii wa uwongo lakini ni muhimu kusema hapa bayana kwamba, hata kama mambo yako yote yamo Marekani, fikiria kidogo tu kuhusu makwenu sababu chochote chaweza kutoka.
Ni jambo la kuchukiza unapowaona wale Wakenya wanaopiga domo eti kwamba Kenya kuna ufisadi, woooo Kenya ni kwa wahuni, woooo Wakenya watakutapeli kwa hili na lile, wao wao au jamaa zao ndio wanasisitiza kwamba wakifa wachangiwe wachangiwe wazikwe Jamhuri. Kicheko na fedheha ya upusi na ushenzi.
Nobody forced him to go home. He is on a 30 days visit.
I am the organizer of this reunion. Feel free to contact me.
Good job!
God bless you for the connection
Oooh! Now that makes sense. He is visiting. At 84, with no helper, Kenya is rough...na you uchumi. Nani atalipa hip replacement like someone said. And I am from Western where we accommodate our elderly! In some regions...once the American "upya" disappears, wagundue hana pesa...yoh!
Well done you for organising this great reunion. I believe he has a choice to either stay or leave. Question is, he must have a strong American accent. Can speak his lingual? Did he have children of his own. Did he never miss going back? Was he in touch with his counterparts in kenya. Wow
Thank you Madam President. We support you all the way. Time to stop the negativity.
What was he doing for 60 years if he can't afford a plane ticket?? Total failure here not news.
Mswahili this man has family in the US. He did not ask to visit so why would he pay for the ticket? He will be back in the US before too long. On a different note, do you believe the corrupt Kenyan leaders are a success because they managed to steal so much? Your attitude explains why the doyens of corruption reside at the apex of politics and business in Kenya
In Kenya we have issues...with a people caught up in infantile emotions and brutes running the show. Heads hurried deep in the sand, busy praying.
@Mswahili, I know mzee Mùgweru very well and he isn't a destitute as you are trying to paint it. He retired from a well known unionized firm and gets good pension. He has personal reasons as to why he was hesitating to visit Kenya. Pesa ako nazo.
Mzee Mugweru has a good pension @mswahili. He has his own reasons why he had opted not to visit Kenya. He isn't a destitute since I know him very well.
Mzee Mugweru has a good pension @mswahili. He has his own reasons why he had opted not to visit Kenya. He isn't a destitute since I know him very well.
Reality of the choices we make.Finally we have home regardless of our migration status.Lets keep connections alive
NHIF paid for my surgery in 2019.I paid nothing. It will pay for his hip replacement. Kenya is poor, but somehow things work in their own way.
Lucky you. I hear it is broke.
No they do not pay for hip replacement. They say it is old age and old age has no cure. Go check.
USA can easily make us homeless not only lost son. not a comfortable land for foreigners.
Current SSA check is $1400?For the first time I see one advantage of aging. At Kwa Njenga slums with such a check, I become a slum lord!!!
Why @kwanjenga slums? @1400 retirement...you way above redhill squatters... Mhalisi atajinyonga
SSI depends on how much you made in the last or highest earning of 10 years. Not everyone gets $1400. Let's assume he is at that, plus 401k, and his wife's SSI if she was working. He just did not want to come to shithole Kenya, I speculate coz he could afford to.
Looks like he was manipulated to come, and being smart, made yolls pay for the ticket and it is you guys making the noise about celebration. I do not see him all giddy. He is not destitute, has a steady retirement income, and here comes Kenyans with their own romantic notions of his family, eti tuchangechange we send him home. He deliberately avoided his kin for 60 years. Pengine walimgonga his investments, who knows? Many are such stories
Strange how another man who truly was homeless in the same Atlanta, and really wanted to go back, but ended up dying in the very Hotlanta.
Highest earning 35 years, not 10 years. Do your research boss.
Useless Useless yes i uphold that huyu mzee angekaa tu hii united state of gormolla juu @84 anarudi gichagi,he will not leave long coz amezoea maisha ya huko but on other side it's good amepata his brothers/sisters wako alive?For me i had a plan yakurudi gichagi before 40 years so i can grow up hapa sweet home n i cannot regret.