Julius Wanyondu Gatonga, a 136-year-old grandfather from Mukurweini, Nyeri County shared some of the secrets to having a long life.
Wanyondu's National ID indicates that he was born in 1884 with the month and exact day not indicated due to lack of proper documentation during the time.
Kenyans.co.ke could not independently verify the age of Wanyondu at the time of reporting to ascertain his claims as his reported age makes him the oldest person ever alive.
The oldest person ever whose age has been verified is Jeanne Calment from France, who lived to the age of 122 years while the oldest verified man ever is Jiroemon Kimura from Japan, who lived to the age of 116 years.
Wanyondu claims that he has been able to live that long due to God's favour and adhering to a strict diet of indigenous foods.
His grandson, Francis Gitonga revealed some of the indigenous foods he eats and added that he has always advised them to borrow his diet.
"He has been eating indigenous foods, not the food people normally eat like rice with his diet mostly having bananas and potatoes.
"He has always advised us to eat like him so as to live till his age," explained Wanyondu's grandson.
The elderly man warned the youth against taking illicit brew and urged them to engage in meaningful activities they desire to live long.
Wanyondu is still strong and can walk around without any assistance though he has challenges with his hearing as one has to speak loudly for him to hear.
Due to him overseeing many generations, the grandfather packs a rich history of Mau Mau wars and tales of the pre-independence era.
Wanyondu says his first work was as a house boy for an Indian family where he earned a monthly salary of Ksh3 which he was able to cater for his children at the time
He later moved to East African Railways and which later changed to Kenya Railways and moved to coffee farming after retirement.
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the family has shelved plans to celebrate his birthday as they avoid large gatherings which exposes him to the threat of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Wanyondu married a wife who is now deceased and had two children, he later married a second wife, also deceased with whom he fathered eight children.
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