It was all jubilation in a lonely homestead in Yamumbi, Kapseret Sub County on the outskirts of Eldoret town, after a 32-year-old man who left his home 8 years ago returned to his family.
Michael Mbugua left home after a disagreement with his parents Rev Joseph Mbugua and her mother Lucy Mbugua never to be seen again.
“It has been a difficult time for me. I never thought he would come back home. At some point, I thought he had died but I thank God for bringing my son back,” said the mother, Lucy Mbugua.
Michael who is the 3rd born in a family of six had been living in Zakayo Race Course, area 46 in Nakuru County. He has been doing manual jobs and with the help of a friend, he traced his elder sister Ruth Wanjiru currently staying in Nyahururu who then organized for a giant reunion with the entire family.
“I stayed for eight years without having any communication with any member of my family. Every day I agonized and missed my family, a former classmate helped me trace my sister and the reunion of my family began,” said Mbugua.
Her mom recalls that despite the sudden disappearances of her son, she still had hopes he would one day return back to them.
“I never gave up because I knew God would answer my prayers. Various church leaders would visit my home for prayers and they would encourage me that my son was alive and that he would come home and this encouraged me a lot and kept us moving,” she said.
As of now, Michael Mbugua says that he is peaceful and he thanks God for reuniting him with his family.
“I regret the agony and the trouble I caused my family and I am happy that they have forgiven me and allowed me back home. I have found my peace at last through this reunion,” he said.
Research indicates that the reasons why people go missing may include; mental illnesses, miscommunication, domestic violence, kidnapping or being a victim of crime, enforced disappearance, and extrajudicial killings.
Statistics from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) show that in Africa, at least 44,000 people were registered missing from August 2020.
In Kenya, by December 2021, there were 32 cases of enforced disappearance and 170 cases of extrajudicial killings.
Michael Mbugua is just but amongst the few who made it home alive after missing for years.
