The story of Dr. Daniel Mutegi Giti pt 1

I graduated with a Doctor of Philosophy in Urban Management at the University of Nairobi on 25^th September 2020. I thank God, because the dream I had in 1992, of becoming a professor, is now few steps to be realized. The journey to this destination has not been easy for me. Before joining primary school in 1988, I survived many instances of being bitten by poisonous snakes rooming our mud walled houses that we lived in till I built an iron roofed mud walled house using my university loan in 2003. In 1984, I survived a severe measles attack that took away my sister. In 1986, I survived a bullet attack as we were fleeing from inter-tribal clashes over perennial boundary disputes. In 1988, I was enrolled for nursery school, but moved to class one because I grasped things faster, hence I quickly moved up the school ladder. Since class one time, I would be in class from 6.30 am because I saw education as the only saviour of my life and entire clan. I saw education as the only option to rescue my family from the vagaries of poverty that lurked all around us.

Because of the mud walled and grass thatched houses, we would be rained on throughout the night in the rainy season. I would just stand up, tired of being rained on and put my books in my armpits to ensure they were not damaged. This is because I didn’t have enough exercise books to write on such that a 32 paged book would be used for three subjects! One day I borrowed little money from my maternal grandparents to buy exercise books, but they inadvertently informed my father of what I had done. I received a thorough beating for this act such that I still have the cane marks on my hand up to date. Despite these challenges, in 1992, I told all and sundry that I would study to a point of becoming a professor, to which my classmates busted into laughter and wondered what had I smoked. My class mates reminded me of the dire poverty I lived in, which prevented my parents from paying little primary school fees, and which, according to them would make it impossible to pay for secondary fees, leave alone university education. Majority of my teachers laughed at me too, and wrote me off. One of my teachers even concluded that I could only become “professor zuzu, or a useless fellow. To some extent these people were right, but they were wrong, because my motivation to succeed was so strong. Throughout my primary school, I used only two pairs of uniform, such that at some point, you couldn’t tell their colour. Boys would insert fingers in my shorts and laugh at it endlessly. Getting a single meal was a challenge, so lunch was a no for me because chances were that I wouldn’t find anything at home.

I thank God that I found people who supported me in my endeavours to succeed, including teachers and well-wishers. Mr. Mutiria Muchege would for example secretly give me text books to read as I was sent away for fees. He allowed me to visit him at home from where I listened to radio and hence came across the word professor, as I was the case for the late George Saitoti, who was then the vice president. The word “professor” inspired lots of thinking and curiosity in me, because I thought professors have lots of money, and I thought that if I got such money, I would end the perennial poverty that my father’s household and majority of my Tharaka people found themselves in. Throughout my primary and secondary schools, I have never been to class for three months consecutively as it should be for every term.

In 1994, I spent six days non-stop without food. On the seventh day, mum went to look for wild fruits and brought a sacksful of mangoes. Meanwhile, I was sent to scare away birds from our farm at 6 am but ended up sleeping the whole day. I was woken up at 6 pm. Throughout the day, I felt like I was on a deeper descent, albeit slowly. When I woke up, we descended on the mangoes, till all of us vomited. A mango plant germinated from the site and I have preserved it to date. All through, I longed to get a sponsor for my education, but it has never come. Instead I have relied on school’s management support and leniency to complete my studies. I joined form one in 1997 after having repeated class eight in 1996 due to lack of school fees. My uncle, Henry Nyaga, supported my education including giving me an old metal box to put the little school items we had bought. I reported on a 10^th February 1997, which was a public holiday, which was a miracle in the making because I had only 10% of what was required for admission. Students gave me some of their uniforms to wear, because I reported with primary school uniforms, which were tattered anyway.

In 1998, I was sent home for fees from Chogoria Boys at 4 pm. I informed the conductor that I had only twenty shillings saved from forty shillings’ dad had given me when he visited me earlier in the term. I didn’t get an opportunity to be visited during the school visiting days, but on this occasion, he came and left me with 40 shillings. I almost cried because I saw lots of struggle in him, worse, he informed me that he would walk back home. I thought the conductor would have mercy on me to allow me alight at Nkubu, but he ordered that I alight at Kanyakine, at 5 pm. I walked from there to Mitung’uu, some 17 kilometers, arriving at 7 pm. I followed the main road from Mitung’uu to Marimanti because lorries ferrying sand along the route would provide ample light as I walked. I arrived home at 11 pm, and my mother cried on seeing me. In the same year, a fundraising to raise my school fees managed to get Kenya shillings 10,000, out of a balance of 55,000. In 1999, a DEO chased me away from his office when I went to seek for bursaries in his office. We later met at the Tharaka Secondary school heads association in 2003, when I was a PTA Principal for Turima secondary school. In 1999, I officially took over the care of my siblings up to date such that 2021 forms 21 years since I officially took up parental duties when I was still a child. In 2000, Chogoria Boys paid for my KCSE examination fee. In the same year, former President Moi visited Chogoria Boys accompanied by Hon Prof. George Saitoti, and his presence added unto my fire for success.

I was teaching at Turima primary in 2001 as part of my strategy to support my siblings when KCSE results were announced in March, but I only went to check mine in May of the same year, because I had a fee balance of over 60,000. My pupils thought that this was because maybe I had failed. My university admission letter couldn’t reach me all and so I had to implore the university to issue me with another one. I got admitted to Egerton university for my BA Geography using the results slip since the school couldn’t release the certificate. In 2002, I taught at Turima secondary and used the proceeds to improve the living conditions of my father’s household. I made a vow since then that none of my siblings would undergo what I went through. In 2007 campaigns, president Kibaki waived all fees owed by students, effectively benefiting me such that I was only left with paying back the exam fee, which I comfortably did in 2008 because I had been employed as a teacher at Mukothima Girls. I lost my father in 2008 and officially took over all remaining duties pertaining my siblings. In the same year, I applied for a post of housing officer, though many discouraged me because they thought one must know someone in the Public Service Commission to get such a job. I got the job in April 2009, and in 2012, I did my Post Graduate Diploma in Housing Administration, in 2016, I graduated with masters in Urban Management and enrolled for a PhD in the same field. In between, I did many professional and personal development courses and educated my siblings to higher levels. This has left me with nothing much to show for over 12 years I have been in government. Though it comes at a great personal pain and retarded development, I am happy that none of my siblings has ever been sent away for school fees, slept hungry or lacked adequate shelter. I want to observe that success is open to everybody, it has many fathers and defeat is an orphan, and whatever one sets their eyes unto, it can surely be achieved, no matter the time it takes.