Interior Cabinet Secretary Dr Fred Matiang’i has moved in to rescue former international athlete Nyandika Maiyoro who is admitted at Christa Marianne Hospital.
The pioneer Olympian was hospitalised after he was diagnosed with tuberculosis two weeks ago.
Doctors at the hospital had scheduled major tests on Thursday last week but later postponed the scans as the family could not raise the required Ksh80,000.
On Monday, Matiang'i contacted the family through an intermediary and pledged to pay his hospital bills.
“The CS talked to us through phone and promised to cater for the bills and all costs that we will incur while in hospital,” Maiyoro’s son Ken Rodgers revealed.
On Friday, Maiyoro appealed to the president to save his allegedly stolen land.
According to Daily Nation, two locals allegedly grabbed his land in 2012 but even after reporting the case to the police, he did not get his land back.
“I urge President Uhuru Kenyatta, opposition leader Raila Odinga and Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i to ensure my family gets justice,” the athlete appealed.
The 88-year-old made history during the 1953 Ocean Games in Madagascar by starting his race a minute after the rest of the pack and remarkably beating everyone.
Maiyoro also holds the record of the first Kenyan to compete in an Olympic final when he qualified for the 5,000m final in Melbourne, Australia in 1956, where he was also team captain.
