• Emmanuel Turere, 68, was discovered after the police officers raided his brother Saningo Turere’s residence.
• Turere has been under the care of his brother since he was involved in a road accident in 2014 within Narok town.
A 68-year-old man has been rescued from the house of his brother in Ololoito area of Narok North, where he had been locked up for five years.
A 68-year-old man has been rescued from the house of his brother in Ololoito area of Narok North, where he had been locked up for five years.
The worrying condition of Emmanuel Turere, who was disabled in an accident, was discovered after nominated MP David ole Sankok and police officers raided Saningo Turere’s residence. They took him Narok County Referral Hospital.
Emmanuel had been under the care of his brother since he was involved in a road accident in Narok town in 2014. Attempts by his only daughter, Virginia Siololei, to visit him were thwarted by relatives.
She finally alerted the local police and MP Sankok, who represents persons living with disabilities in the National Assembly.
Narok North subcounty police commander Fredrick Shiundu, who led the operation, said an emaciated Emmanuel was found in terrible condition, urinating and defecating on the same spot without getting proper care.
Shiundu said Emmanuel’s trouble started when he bequeathed his land to his daughter against the wishes of his brothers, who had hoped to inherit it.
“The brothers have been preventing the daughter, Virginia Siololei, from gaining access to him, fearing the daughter might take the whole land owned by this man,” Shiundu said.
Two people have been arrested in connection with the incident and investigations are underway.
Sankok said the law has to be followed to the letter so justice is served to Emmanuel.
“I’ve already sought the services of a top lawyer to take up the matter and those who were involved in the incidents should be punished to serve as a lesson to other people who are fond of mistreating persons with disabilities,” the legislator said.
He wondered why Turere’s brothers want to take the land against the law. Only children are entitled to properties and not siblings, he added.
“Despite our disabilities, we have the rights to life, to own properties and access our children. Anybody denying us our rights should know that it is against Article 54 of the Constitution, the UN conventions on the rights of persons with disabilities and the Persons with Disabilities Act,” said Sankok, who added that he will donate a wheelchair to Emmanuel.
Such cases are, however, not new in Narok. In June 2014, Sankok stormed a home in Majengo, Narok town, where a disabled boy had been locked up by his family in a sheep pen for the more than 10 years. Ben Mpusia was aged 15 years when he was rescued.
A year later, Sankok blocked a family from illegally taking over land belonging to a blind man. The family had claimed the man had died and were trying to process his death certificate.