'Huku ni dunia ingine': Woman who never left village documents first Nairobi visit

The following content has been rated W. It has wow things. It also packs wonderment. Plus wholesomeness. And winning. 

It is the story of 34-year-old Milka Cheyech, who had never stepped out of Katuluk village in West Pokot County until NTV cameras entered the scene.

Then things changed. Oh, we forgot to say that the story is rated W because it also has well-wishers.

Thanks to those well-wishers, a few days later she was sunbathing in the city under the sun and doing, among other things, crossing the labyrinthine roads, admiring the statue that features on all banknotes in Kenya, and tasting the whistling winds atop the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC).

Ah, this story should be rated W for windy conditions at the KICC helipad.

What’s more, she slept on the third floor of a city hotel, a dizzying height for someone who said she’s used to sleeping “kwa ground”.

It started with an NTV report on April 12 about people who had never stepped out of their counties of birth. One of the people who featured was Milka Cheyech, a mother of three. 

When asked about how she would feel if she ever visits Nairobi, her response was: “Where will you start? It is like a dream. I think I would get lost if I went to Nairobi. That is another world, not like West Pokot.”

“Maybe someone should just hold my hand when I get there. I fear cars and people. I hear there are many vehicles in Nairobi and it can be cumbersome for me to cross the road,” she added.

Perhaps it was her apparent naivety. Or the accent. Or the simplicity of her dressing. Or the rustic look of the background as she spoke. Or perhaps her story of want and how she is breaking her back to provide for her family and that of her brother. Whatever it was, her remarks soon captured the attention of the internet, and it did not take long before travel firms got interested.

One of those was Zuguka Africa Safaris, who made good their promise to bring Milka to the city. They brought not only Milka but also her three sons aged 12, 8 and 5, and her street-smart neighbour Elizabeth Lopeile.

Our story should also be rated W for the watano, the five of them, isn’t it? 

Anyway, they arrived in Nairobi on the afternoon of Friday, April 19, when the country was still digesting the news of the death of Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) Francis Ogolla. For Ms Cheyech, she would also be digesting their first-ever lunch taken in Nairobi. Their main destination was the Two Rivers Mall where, after lunch, they had a ride on the Ferris wheel alias “The Eye of Kenya”. This gave them to have a unique view of Nairobi and its northerly neighbourhoods.

Okay, rated W due to the wheel?

They slept at the Comfort Suites in Kilimani, on the third floor.

“You just like see everywhere from a storey building,” she said in wonderment. 

On Saturday morning, as the country prepared for the memorial prayers for General Ogolla, the five woke up early. It was to be a busy day. 

After having their breakfast – which had, among other things, sausages and eggs with the “sunny side up” – off they went to tour the city in a van. They passed by State House then later headed to the Nation Centre.

In front of the Nation Centre, a key landmark in the city, they could not resist belting out a vernacular gospel tune, thanking God for his providence. This should be rated W for Waimbaji, no?

They also shared the circumstances under which their story found its way to NTV and the impact afterwards.

Afterwards, the van headed was a visit to Parliament and the adjacent KICC. 

Then they were led to the KICC rooftop. Being on a fast lift going up 27 floors was a moment of wonderment for the team. They were quickly accepting the reality of humans locking themselves inside a thing called a car, for some reason, and allowing forces totally out of their control to take them up and down a tall hole, almost an abyss when you are talking about KICC.

They then headed to the helipad of one of Kenya’s most iconic buildings, where their eyes were spoilt for choice on account, given the visual buffet served by the expanse of concrete jungle that is Nairobi. 

This should be rated W for the wide view of the city and the natural features that surround it.

Milka’s eldest son, Shalom, was amazed.

On Saturday, they were also scheduled to visit the Giraffe Centre, the Nairobi Safari Walk, the Bomas of Kenya, and the Nairobi National Museum.

“There is a lot that Nairobi County has to offer, just walking around on the streets. We have a lot of tour operators, including ourselves, who do Nairobi city tour on foot. Even if you want to be driven around, there is a lot to be seen: A lot of landmarks, a lot of places that are our DNA, or rather our identity, which showcase our culture, who we are as a people,” said Mr Daudi Mavuti, the manager of Zunguka Africa Tours and Travel.

Milka and her travelling party were scheduled to return home on Sunday, using public means. Some of the items they had to take home with them were foodstuffs donated by a pastor who met them on their first day in the city.

Finally, this should be rated W for West Pokot, no?

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