Boy’s thrilling poem wins him a meeting with President Uhuru Kenyatta

Dennis Ngaruiyah, 13, shakes hands with President Uhuru Kenyatta after reciting a thrilling poem during the Kenya Defence Forces Day celebrations at 3KR Barracks in Lanet, Nakuru, on October 14, 2014. PHOTO | SULEIMAN MBATIAH | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • At birth Dennis Ngaruiya suffered a terrifying bout of meningitis that left him motionless.
  • His mother’s tears were a mixture of pain and joy at seeing the child everyone gave a slim chance of survival give the nation a hearty laughter.
  • The Standard Seven pupil at Nakuru East Primary School has been a darling to most pupils since he joined the school.
  • His invitation to visit State House, he said, was one of his major achievements and a dream come true.

At birth Dennis Ngaruiya suffered a terrifying bout of meningitis that left him motionless.

But during the Kenya Defence Forces Day celebrations at 3KR Barracks in Lanet, Nakuru, on October 14, 2014, the 13-year-old boy left President Uhuru Kenyatta in stitches with his electrifying poem on maternal health.

And as all in attendance during the 50th anniversary of the Kenya Defence Forces Day wiped tears of joy, his mother’s tears were a mixture of pain and joy at seeing the child everyone gave a slim chance of survival give the nation a hearty laughter.

His mother, Ms Damaris Wambui, explained the struggles she went through to see that he went to school at the right age.

CARRIED TO SCHOOL

“I carried him to school on my back up to when he was in Standard Two. His legs were too weak for him to walk to school. He grew stronger as days went by,” said Ms Wambui.

Master Ngaruiya was born 13 years ago as the fifth child in the family but he was attacked by meningitis when he was only two weeks old.

This came as a big challenge to his mother, who catered for the family single-handedly after his father abandoned them immediately after Ngaruiya’s birth.

Ms Wambui caters for his family through weaving of sweaters at a local company which only enables the family to get two meals in a day.

The company imports the products and therefore pays the workers on commission.

THRILLING POEM

Ngaruiya’s poem "Our Father" moved the crowd, including the President who sought to meet the boy.

The poem, written by his class teacher, commended the First Lady for her continuous efforts in promoting good maternal health through her Beyond Zero campaign and the President for his ability to interact freely with the people.

In the poem, he also expressed the level of simplicity in the President especially when addressing the citizens with his most common line, “ama niaje ndugu zangu?” a phrase President Kenyatta often uses to refer to the citizens as his brothers.

The Standard Seven pupil at Nakuru East Primary School has been a darling to most pupils since he joined the school.

This has also seen him get favours from his friends, who carry him around whenever he calls.

“Besides my love for poetry, it was my first time to perform to such a big crowd and for the President,” said Ngaruiya.

SHOOK PRESIDENT'S HAND

When the president called him to shake his hand after the performance, Ngaruiya was so excited that his dreams were coming true.

“I have always had a dream of meeting the President and when I saw him smiling, I felt like my dreams were coming true,” said Ngaruiya.

His English teacher, Ms Ann Mwangi, who wrote the poem, said that she chose Ngaruiya to recite it due to his ability to grasp information within a short period.

She adds that Ngaruiya was able to memorise the poem within a week while he kept on expressing his anxiety to meet the President.

“I wrote the poem for him because I know his ability and I knew he was the right pupil to deliver the message,” she said.

The teacher says despite the difficulties Ngaruiya faced in his early years in school due to his condition, he never lost his dreams.

At home, Ngaruiya also faces some difficulties as his family can hardly afford two meals in a day.

His dream is to become a pilot when he is done with his studies, something he says will raise his family from its needy state.

His invitation to visit State House, he said, was one of his major achievements and a dream come true.