Family reunites with missing grandfather after four years

Salvatore Mbûî  was 82-years-old when he boarded a matatu from his Embu home on a cold morning of July 27, 2017, for Mwea.

He never arrived and had been missing since then.

Mbûî was visiting his daughter who lived 52 kilometres away in Mwea, Kirinyaga county.

He had promised to make the trip after his daughter visited him with her new fiancee.

The family spent four years agonising over the elderly man, who has a memory loss problem, probably as a result of alzheimer's or dementia disease.

Mbûî was finally found last Friday, 103 kilometres away in Saba Saba town, Murang'a county.

When he left home, he spoke Embu, English and Swahili but has now adopted Kikuyu, indicating he has spent all these years in Central Kenya. 

He has been living on a shed by the roadside in Saba Saba, made by well wishers.

"His disappearance and reunion is a blessing from God and I cannot explain how much I am thankful to God," his grandson Rodgers Murimi said.

"We tried all we could until we left the matter to God and hoped he will comeback home alive some day," Murimi added.

The family lives in Kiaragana village, Runyenjes subcounty, in Embu.

The family members said they feel thankful to God for watching over their father and grandfather.

They said Mbûî suffered from forgetfulness even before his disappearance, meaning he probably forgot his destination on the fateful day and also forgot where he came from.

Murimi said they had sought their grandfather in most parts of the country to no avail.

They went as far as Machakos, Central Kenya and in different parts of Meru.

Mbûî was found after the family received a tipoff from a village friend who informed them of a person resembling him.

The family sought for the photo of the person which was shared via WhatsApp and confirmed it was their missing grandfather.

They made arrangements to travel to Saba Saba where they met him.

"We thank everyone who made an effort to inform us about our grandfather and those who helped him at Saba Saba," Murimi said.

Mbûî who showed joy upon his reunion with the family is said to have left home with both his legs healthy. He however suffered an accident at Saba Saba market which broke his left leg.

"At the moment he cannot walk though that does not worry us since he is alive. We are making arrangements to seek medical check up on his leg," Rachael Ciaigwa, a daughter said.

She also added that she felt burdened to lose her dad since she had spent most of her time caring for her mother and father, who were by then in their 80s.

The daughter says it is by God's grace that her dad is back and alive.

(Edited by Bilha Makokha)