• He made a visit after reading the news of malnourished Baringo children in the Star newspaper
• The MP requested to adopt the two malnourished kids from Kabarnet sunrise children’s home
Image: JOSEPH KANGOGO
Kapseret MP Oscar Sudi has offered to adopt two malnourished children after the Star highlighted their dire situation on Monday last week.
Sudi, accompanied by his family, spent the better part of his Sunday with the children of Kabarnet Sunrise Children’s Home in Baringo Central subcounty, where the rescued children are staying.
He said the visit was triggered by "the touching photo and story of a malnourished one-and-a-half-year-old Jeptoo Cherutich", which he read on the Star newspaper on Monday, August 6.
“The purpose of my coming here today is that I would request this home and the family of the two malnourished children — Jeptoo and her four-year-old sister Jebiwot — to allow me to adopt them, so they can stay with my children and offer them my full support,” Sudi said.
He, however, said his move had nothing to do with politics.
“It is purely based on humanitarian grounds,” he said adding, “... before I grew up to what I am today, my life wasn’t far from the situation these beautiful children are undergoing today.”
Baringo is the home county of Senator Gideon Moi, the political nemesis of Deputy President William Ruto.
Both are likely to be in the 2022 presidential race.
Sudi, a close ally of the DP, is among the few well-wishers who have offered to help the starving children in Baringo.
He also donated food and non-food items, among them 13 bags of maize, sugar, rice, salt, cooking oil and detergents.
Jeptoo and her sister are among the five starving children saved from their dilapidated home in Sabor, Baringo South on June 26.
Their father, Joseph Cheruitch, said he has already lost two children to malnutrition — a six-year-old on June 27 and another in 2013. His wife is mentally ill.
“On that material day in the morning, my daughter, Lynn Chelagat, and I were taking breakfast when we bumped on the heartbreaking photo of the malnourished child placed on the front of the Star newspaper,” Sudi said.
He said his daughter, with the unique passion of hosting needy children, convinced him to act quickly and locate the said suffering children at Kabarnet Children’s home and visit them as soon a possible, to save their lives.
“I then took the challenge of finding the contact of the Star reporter in Baringo, who then assisted me to locate the home,” Sudi said.
The home's director, Mary Sang, hosted Sudi and his team and commended them for following up and visiting them.
“I have since my late husband and I started the home in 2003 been working single-handedly to raise the children. But today, I feel so relieved to have friends like you Sudi, who are willing to partner with us,” Sang said.
Sudi said he was touched and inspired by the selfless role Sang has been playing in hosting the kids and pledged to sponsor five secondary school children through the bursary fund.
“Upon inquiry, I learnt that the kids were rescued from different situations ranging from malnutrition, desertion by their parents, poverty, street families among other reasons,” he said.
Nonetheless, the facility is currently working on the necessary documentation and they have promised to complete the process so the family can take the children.
“I, together with my family, will try our best to raise the two kids with care and love,” Sudi said.
He further pledged to occasionally donate foodstuffs, clothing and other necessities to the home.
The MP also asked Kenyan leaders and the people of goodwill to join efforts in offering their possible support to the starving children of this country.