Excitement swept the quiet neighbourhood of Nyalenda after years of prayers, aching memories and unyielding hope bore fruit in a reunion that left no eye dry.
The air was thick with disbelief and joy as Jacob Odhiambo, age 19, embraced the parents he hadn’t seen since he was five years old, 14 years ago.
Odhiambo, originally known as Peter Okiki, vanished from his family’s humble home in Kibera, Nairobi, on February 26, 2011.
The disappearance plunged his parents, David Okiki and Lillian Atieno, into an abyss of anguish and tireless search, a journey that turned days into years of waiting, mourning and praying for a miracle.
That miracle came last week, under the warm Kisumu sun, as Odhiambo stepped into the arms of the people who brought him into this world, time momentarily stood still.
The family, who had travelled in their numbers to meet him, could not hide their joy as they held their now-grown son close, whispering the name they hadn’t dared to speak in years.
“God has come through for us, it's not been an easy journey for these 14 years, we have reunited with our lost first-born son and we are very happy,” Atieno said.
Okiki said since his son disappeared, things have never been the same.
“I walked into almost all the police stations in Nairobi to try and trace my boy, I even went to different pastors for prayers. There is nothing I have not done in trying to find my son,” he said.
Okiki said the pain became unbearable as the years went by.
“Sometimes when I saw some of the kids whom he used to play with, something would prick my heart. Deep down, I thought I would die without seeing my son again.”
The family did not even relocate from Kibera’s Sirange area, thinking their son would one day return and not trace their new home.
Okiki expressed appreciation and gratitude to the Good Samaritans who have taken care of his boy all these years and even took him to school.
“When a relative sent us a picture of Jacob that he had met him in one of the children's home in Kisumu, that was the best news we had heard in a long time,” the elated father said.
When they travelled to go meet Odhiambo at St Philip’s Neri Children’s Home, they did not know how they would be received, but contrary to their thoughts, they were given a warm reception.
Odhiambo’s journey back home, however, reads like a chapter torn from a dramatic novel.
After being picked up by a “Good Samaritan” in Nairobi, he was moved to Migori, and later abandoned in Kisumu in 2012.
Left alone at the bus station, with fragmented memories and no idea where he truly belonged, Odhiambo found temporary shelter with strangers before eventually ending up at a remand home.
“It was not easy,” he recalled quietly during an interview at his family home.
“There were moments I didn’t know if I’d ever see my real family again. But deep inside, I felt they were out there somewhere.”
Odhiambo’s fortunes turned for the better when he was transferred to St Philip’s Neri Children’s Home, where he received care, education and most importantly, a sense of belonging.
“St Philip’s became my world. They gave me love when I had none, and today, they’ve given me back my family.”
George Odongo from the children’s department in Kisumu Central said they are happy Odhiambo has finally been reunited with his parents.
He said they took care of Odhiambo from 2012 to 2017, before handing him over to the children's home.
“Jacob was brought to the children's remand home where we gave him shelter, food as his family was being traced. However, being that years were passing and the boy was bright, we thought it wise for him to be taken to school,” Odongo said.
He said since they are working with different organisations and groups, they talked to St Philip's, who agreed to take the boy and see him through school.
Odhiambo joined Standard 4 at the children’s home. He is now in Form 3 at Lion’s High School in Kisumu.
The emotional reunion was largely made possible through the relentless efforts of Vincent Ochieng, the founder and programme manager at St Philip’s Children’s Home.
His determination to trace Odhiambo’s roots, in collaboration with various government agencies, eventually led them to a relative who helped confirm his identity.
“It wasn’t easy. But Jacob’s resilience and the unwavering faith of his family made everything possible. We’ll keep supporting them until he finishes high school,” Ochieng said.
He said they are very happy Odhiambo has found his family.
