A man who ran away as a teenager after being punished by his uncles in 1969 finally returned home.
Allegedly, the uncles placed a basket full of pepper on his head and thrashed him, forcing him to seek refuge away from his birthplace.
Njeru Mwiru from Gachiongo village in Tharaka Nithi County surfaced with a sack full of his clothes after working as a herdsman in Kitui County.
He stated that he offered his services to at least four families as a farmhand and also did other menial jobs to make ends meet.
One family that he had stayed with for 10 years sought to find his family after they saw him aging.
"He realized the man is getting old and began looking for his family. He communicated with us and the search began. It was a hard task but eventually, we found Njeru's family," the area official reported.
The son whom Njeru took care of in Kitui was an assistant chief who through the help of other government officials managed to trace Njeru's family.
His relatives could not contain their excitement after reuniting with their kin who on several occasions was reported to have passed away.
"Our kin is back, we are very happy. He looks like our father," Njeru's sister said overjoyed.
"I am happy my brother is back. We will incorporate him into our lives again. We love him and we will continue to do so," his brother added.
According to the family, they had moved from village to village in search of their lost brother. New members of the family including Njeru’s sisters-in-law were all involved in the search.
"I got married in 1988, my husband told me one of his brothers was lost in 1969. I tagged along in the search for Njeru out the county," Njeru's sister-in-law recalled.
During his time away from home, Njeru neither married nor sired children.
