Man who built village road in Murang’a now basks in honour

By NDUNGU GACHANE 
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A 45-year-old man who hit the headlines after singlehandedly digging a two-kilometre road in Murang’a has revealed that he is a reformed bhang smoker and is now ready to get married.

After building the village road using farm implements, he has turned out to be a community hero and has attracted the recognition of corporates and well-wishers who have rewarded him for his selflessness deeds.

Mr Nicholas Muchami from Kaganda village in Kiharu Constituency dug the steep hilly bushy road by hand using farm tools to ease the burden of the elderly, the sick, women and the school children who previously trekked for four kilometres to the nearest shopping centre and to school.

RECOGNITION

Although his deed was selfless and for which he expected no pay, Mr Muchami’s action attracted public attention, earning him respect and recognition from people in Kenya and abroad.

The man was previously despised and looked down upon by some of those who knew him due to his past record, having served a jail term for fracturing his father’s hand in a quarrel over an avocado fruit in 2005.

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After serving time in jail two years, he was again found guilty of being a perennial bhang smoker in 2015. He was convicted and sentenced to a non-custodial sentence of one-and-a-half years.

An ACK priest conducts prayers as Muchami receives a donation of a cow and animal feeds from ABC Bank on June 11, 2019. PHOTO | NDUNG'U GACHANE | NATION MEDIA GROUP

HONOURED

With this background, Muchami says he had not imagined that he would one time be respected and honoured by his own community, leave alone corporates.

A reformed Muchami decided to give back to the society expecting no favours and recognition. His main concern was just to save fellow villagers from the agony of a tiring circuitous journey due to lack of a quick access road.

Speaking after he received a dairy cow and animal feeds which will last him for six months from the ABC Bank on Tuesday, Mr Muchami said he can only attribute the unfolding events to God.

MENDED WAYS

“I have smoked bhang and all sorts of things but since I mended my ways and got saved at the ACK Kaganda church, God has been with me all through. I dug the road without any clue of what would happen later but my efforts have made me famous and I now have a donation of two grade cows, animal feeds and a tap water,” the jovial Muchami said, adding that he will endeavour to speak to drug users to mend their ways.

Mr Muchami, who now works as a guard at Kaganda Primary School, said that due to his past record and poverty, he has never married.

Muchami poses for a photo with staff from ABC Bank led by Managing Director Phillip Wambua. The bank has given him two dairy cows and animal feeds to last him for for six months. PHOTO | NDUNG'U GACHANE | NATION MEDIA GROUP

READY TO MARRY

But he said he is now ready to marry in order to have a companion with whom to look after the God-given wealth.

ABC Bank's Treasury and Financial Institutions General Manager Phillip Wambua said they have given Mr Muchami tips on dairy farming, assisted him to open an account with a local bank, adding that they will ensure that he earns a decent living through dairy farming.

“This is the second cow to Mr Muchami and the idea is to ensure he earns a living through dairy farming. We will supply him with animal feeds for six months and follow up on the progress of the insured cow to make sure that all is well,” he said.

He urged government to honour the man and name the road he built “Muchami Drive” in recognition of his efforts in serving the community.