My desire is to serve, to  make other people’s lives better and also fight for their rights 

Baringo county nominated senator Harold Kipchumba administers a polio vaccine to a child. Kipchumba received recognition for a cause close to his heart. A polio survivor himself, he experienced first-hand what failure to immunise a child can lead to. PHOTO | COURTESY

What you need to know:

  • Harold Kipchumba was struck by polio as a child and faced discrimination because little was known about the disease at the time. He has been recognised for his campaign to ensure that children get immunised to avoid what he went through.
  • Nyabondo marked the turning point in his life because it gave him a sense of belonging and acceptance since he found other children like him, some with worse disabilities.
  • His family is full of praise for him. “He is a loving and hardworking man and I love him very much, says his wife, Dorothy, adding that his disability calls for constant support.

When he won the UN in Kenya Award 2015 last month, goodwill immunisation ambassador Harold Kipchumba received recognition for a cause close to his heart. A polio survivor himself, he experienced first-hand what failure to immunise a child can lead to. So when a fresh polio outbreak was announced in 2013, he offered to support the response efforts. The Ministry of Health and partners Unicef and the World Health Organisation brought him on board and he became the voice and face of the efforts to stop polio in Kenya and sustain other immunisation schedules.

DN2 recently caught up with him in Kabartonjo, Baringo Country, and sought insights into how he survived polio and his enthusiasm for immunisation.

His mother, Ruth Kobilo, says it began when Kipchumba’s right leg suddenly became weak. He was about four years old. The doctors at Kabarnet Hospital in Baringo County where she first took him tried to treat him but realised they could not handle his case, so they advised her to take him to Nakuru General Hospital. The doctors there were unable to treat him either, so they recommended that she take him to Kenyatta National Hospital in Nairobi.

Meanwhile, Ms Kobilo was mother was at a loss as regarding the disease had struck her son.

At Kenyatta National Hospital, he was admitted and after a while, the doctors seemed to have been onto something. Meanwhile, his condition had worsened, with his left leg also growing weak.

In between the hospital visits, Ms Kobilo consulted herbalists. The trips took her to far-away places, including Machakos, Kitui, Bungoma and Mombasa, where people had told her she could find a cure for her son’s illness.

“It seemed like an unending journey,” says the 85-year-old, “and I was desperate and helpless as I sought a solution from one place to the other, with my son on my back.”  

ANXIOUS WAIT

Her husband, Kimuge Komen, 88, was away from home most of the time since he was  working  on a farm in Eldama Ravine. Like her, he was troubled about their fourth child’s plight, but he did not know how to deal with it. With time, his visits home became increasingly rare, which made the situation worse for his wife and their three sons.

Nominated senator Harold Kipchumba who was struck by polio as a child and faced discrimination because little was known about the disease at the time. PHOTO | FILE

“It occurred to me that he would not be able to do the things other children did – work on the farm or look after cattle, which were the roles played by most children in our area,” he offers.

The he adds, “The reality that he had been struck by polio was harsh, but what he has achieved has surprised us beyond our wildest imagination.”

Kipchumba was admitted to Kenyatta National Hospital, where a group experts began treating him. After some time, they asked his mother to leave him at the hospital as they continued treating him. She put up at her brother’s home as she anxiously waited for their diagnosis.

“Then one morning at KNH, a certain doctor told me he knew the problem. My son had contracted polio, a disease that weakens the limbs and whose effects are irreversible,” she said.

He advised her to leave Kipchumba in the hospital as they sought ways to help him.

“I just prayed and asked God to keep him as I left the hospital,” she recalled.

Her prayers were answered when, after five months of treatment including physiotherapy, Kipchumba’s arms gained some strength.

It was a difficult time for her as she also had to visit her three other children in Kaptiony, where they were living with her mother-in-law.

“I felt like I had abandoned my other children but I had no alternative until I got this one well.”

Luckily, she and her brother learnt about the Bohra Community on Accra Road in  Nairobi, which offered physiotherapy and other related support to children with physical disabilities. She also came across other children with similar handicaps. It was here that she   got Kipchumba crutches, which made movement easier for him.

They then went back to Baringo. Kipchumba’s siblings were astonished by the disease that prevented their brother from going to school like they did. In fact, he was denied admission several times.

“You see, until then, no one in the area had suffered from polio, so people did not know how to handle someone with the disease,” Kipchumba interjects.

His mother still had to keep going to hospital for support and whenever he got sick. At one point she left him in hospital because the burden of carrying him back and forth was unbearable, and she needed to attend to the rest of the family.  She asked the hospital staff to look after him while she was away.

It turned out to be a blessing in disguise because it was during her absence that a Catholic missionary visited the hospital and met Kipchumba. The missionary  made arrangements to have him taken to Nyabondo Rehabilitation Centre in Nyakach in Kisumu County. He was to remain there for seven years, until he sat for the Certificate of Primary Education exam.

TURNING POINT

He performed well enough to earn himself a place at Lenana School in Nairobi, one of the best national schools.

“It was at that point that I realised God had answered my prayers. My son would, after all, be going to go to school like other children and fulfil his hopes and desires. He could be educated do something big,” she reminisces.

“When I look at him now, I tell myself I need not have consulted herbalists and other healers in the mistaken belief that he had been bewitched. He has done everything an able person can do and as a family, we look up to him and he takes care of us.”

So, what does she think about his interest in politics?

 Her face lights up with excitement. “I like it because he is a good speaker and advises people. He is also caring,” she says.

Kipchumba talks passionately about growing up and how his life has turned out.

Nyabondo marked the turning point in his life because it gave him a sense of belonging and acceptance since he found other children like him, some with worse disabilities.

“I realised I was not alone, and that there were many things I could do,” he says.

He learnt life skills, including self-reliance. All the children were assigned duties at the centre. He also learnt to be assertive and confident, skills that came in handy when he joined at Lenana  School, where he was the only disabled student. He encountered a lot of mobility challenges since the school’s physical structures were not easy to navigate for a person using crutches.

“It was difficult and I almost left the school but after a while my friends, teachers and everyone became sensitive to my need and supported me.

This made his six years at the school much more bearable. He also learnt to be a leader and team player, and served as a prefect, soloist, keyboard player and joined various clubs.

“I was full of energy and interest, and Lenana gave me every  opportunity,”  he says.

 “By the time I left Nyabondo, I had realised  that I was good at certain things, and high school helped me to hone my leadership skills and teamwork.”

What about his interest in politics?

Baringo county nominated senator Harold Kipchumba (left), head of the Division of Disease Surveillance and response Dr. Ian Njeru (centre) with Onesmus Muite, a polio survivor at the Safari park hotel on the 24th of October 2013. PHOTO | FILE

“I am driven by the desire to serve, to make another person’s situation better and also to campaign for their rights,” he responds.

The discrimination he experienced due to his physical disability motivates him. “It has made me particularly sensitive to the violation of others’ rights and denial of justice,” he emphasises.

After school, he joined activist groups campaigning for justice, equity and rights. He later undertook development studies in Tanzania and has since worked with communities on health, governance, peace building, social accountability and giving the public a voice.

In 2013, he served as a nominated a senator five months, but was replaced thanks to political intrigues.

“I moved on because had I not, I would have lost my whole life’s purpose, which is to serve, represent others and bring meaning and change to other people’s life.  I can serve in many capacities and I am thankful for that.”

 During pro-immunisation campaigns, he appeals to t parents to have their children immunised. In the past two-and-half years he has become the face of polio and immunization in Kenya. In many of the counties he has visited, children easily recognise him.

“In Kisumu, a child came to me during one of the campaigns and told me that her younger sibling had not been vaccinated. We immediately sought out her mum and made sure the child was vaccinated”.

But not everyone  appreciates his efforts. For instance, some people  believe that prayers are the answer to illnesses. It is in such cases that he uses his physical handicap to show them how bad it can get.

He also advocates for the Rota vaccine that was launched last year, which helps build children’s immunity against diarrhoea and other diseases.

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GREATEST SUPPORT

I owe it to my supportive family

Kipchumba's parents Ruth and Kimuge at their home in Baringo County. PHOTO | JEMIMA MWAKISHA

“DON’T LET ANY child go through what I have gone through. Had my mum known about the two-drop polio vaccination 50 years ago, this would not have happened to me.”

This is Kipchumba’s message, which has resonated with many people,  the one that has earned him recognition by the United Nations family in Kenya.

His family is full of praise for him. “He is a loving and hardworking man and I love him very much, says his wife, Dorothy, adding that his disability calls for constant support.

“The reality is that he does not enjoy the luxury of waking up and going wherever he wants. We always have to think about the physical features of the place and whether he will be able to get there,” she offers.

Initially, her family was uneasy because of Kipchumba’s disability. “But our love for each other has gone a long way in drawing everyone around us” she says. “My parents and family adore him because he is a very good man. He has a very positive and pleasant personality, which people admire. His sons, too, are extremely proud of him.

“He and mum have taught us to be strong and positive about life,” says Dennis, the middle son.

“One thing we believe, as a family, is that my father is like anyone else because he has raised us and provided for us and has never used his physical handicap to seek favours.”

He adds that his father’s confidence and willingness to work and not focus on his challenges has made a great impression on them.

“My siblings and I know we should never let any challenge overwhelm us but focus on what to do to overcome the challenge.”

Dennis would like to pursue a degree in aeronautical engineering starting next year. His younger sibling, Moses, is in Standard Seven while the first born, Hilary, is recovering from injuries sustained in an accident in 2013.

“We are a blessed family and I am  thankful to my loving and supportive wife and children,” says Kipchumba concludes.