Blind mother of two appeals for help in Isiolo

 A visually impaired 24-year-old mother of two from Kiwanjani, Isiolo, has appealed for help following an attack on her husband. 

Life has been unbearable for Emily Wanja and her family after her husband Douglas Mithika, a boda boda rider, was attacked by bandits and left for dead. He, however, survived but still requires critical care.

Mithika left for work on July 12 but did not return in the evening. He was found unconscious the following morning near his home, having fallen victim to banditry. He was the sole breadwinner of the family.

“He was found by the roadside with severe head injuries,” Wanja said.

Criminals have been terrorising residents who live near the Isiolo International Airport. Wanja called upon the county security team to intensify patrols in the area to ensure criminals do not harm more people.

Mithika received treatment at the Isiolo County Referral Hospital and was discharged two weeks ago in disturbing condition.

“He can no longer talk or do anything by himself. He is fed and bathed just like a child. We were evicted from the rental house we were living in for failure to pay the monthly dues,” Wanja said.

A neighbour offered a small wooden house where Wanja now stays with her two boys. One of Mithika's brothers took him in upon Wanja’s request and he has been under home-based care.

The family needs Sh10,000 for Mithika's medication as prescribed by a doctor. Friends and neighbours helped to clear hospital bill but Wanja now grapples with the burden of continued treatment.

Since the attack, the family has been depending on their neighbours for food. Wanja says she has not received help from from anyone else. Neither the county nor a state agency has come to their rescue.

Wanja expressed concern that minus the support her husband used to provide, she will have a hard time taking her sons, aged three and six, to school when learning resumes. 

Belinda Karambu, a neighbour, appealed to the government and the National Council for Persons with Disabilities to intervene and ensure the young family gets the much-needed assistance.