• For about three months, he could not walk on any surface that was not flat.
• The doctors told him there was a possibility he would never walk again.
Image: FILE
After surviving a plane crash and a road accident, legendary journalist and politician Raphael Tuju is the epitome of the proverbial cat with nine lives.
On January 24, 2003, Tuju cheated death after he was involved in a plane crash that killed one minister and two pilots.
He was in the company of Narc politicians who had gone to Busia for a homecoming party to celebrate their three-week-old election win.
His recent death escape on February 12, 2020, is yet another tale of a miracle.
The tragedy left him with 21 injuries inclusive of 18 broken bones. Doctors told him there was a possibility he would never walk again.
“I do not remember much about the accident because I was asleep. I broke 18 bones and the impact from the seat belt caused very serious internal bleeding; crushed part of my intestines, but the seat belt also saved my life,” Tuju said on Wednesday night.
The former Jubilee Secretary-General was involved in a grisly road accident along the Nakuru-Nairobi highway while travelling to Kabarak to attend the late Mzee Daniel’s Moi burial.
He was taken to Kijabe hospital and later flown to Karen Hospital for more specialized medical care.
Speaking on Citizen TV’s JKLive on Wednesday, Tuju gave a blow by blow account of the tragedy that nearly cost his life yet again.
He narrated how his intestines had to be cut by doctors to remove the section that had been crashed by the safety belt.
“I couldn't have made it to Nairobi straight away so they had to make a decision to rush me to the theatre immediately...They had to cut a piece of my intestines and joint to remove the part that was crushed by the seat belt ...,” he said.
While in the hospital bed, Tuju reveals he thought it was his last day on earth.
On the flipside, reaching the same hospital alive gave him a ray of hope.
The former Rarieda MP was later taken to London as advised by his doctor Dan Gikonyo for a delicate operation that would have changed his entire life if it wasn't successful.
He explained that the doctor, in the presence of his family, had to prepare him for the worst.
“The doctor who conducted the operations specializes in people who have had motorcycle accidents. He was identified by my doctor (Dr Gikonyo). They prepared me for all possibilities that I could not walk again but two days after the operation I was able to stand,” Tuju added.
Image: GEORGE MUGO
One of his vertebrae was cut but fortunately for Tuju, the spinal cord was not damaged in any way despite feeling pressure on it.
Back to Kenya where he was recovering after the surgery, Tuju revealed it was tough for the first two months because he needed nursing support in the house.
For about three months, he could not walk on any surface that was not flat. His first achievement was being able to walk to the bathroom.
“I had nurses who would bath me, they would walk me, have me seated on a stool, wash me and take me back to bed.”
He referred to his recovery as long and painful but also memorable.
Despite having fully recovered, the ex-Jubilee SG says he still feels pain in his back but chooses to remain fit and healthy.
“Not pain but there is a certain stiffness because I have all these plates on my back and I had also crushed my knees and broken the leg so I'm not so strong on my right side,” Tuju said.
Even before and after recovery, Tuju said ODM leader Raila Odinga visited him daily together with his family.
Opening up about his relationship with Odinga, he said they are neighbours in Karen and he showed him compassion after the accident.
“Raila and I enjoy a cordial relationship for a long time. After the accident, he used to pass by Karen Hospital every day and I’m lucky enough that he is also my neighbour,” Tuju added.
Tuju will be taking up a walking challenge in Belgium where he will trek for 100km, later this year or early 2023, to raise funds in a span of 15 hours.
After the accident, Tuju says he normally walks an average of 6-7 km an hour just to keep fit and strengthen his back.
Edited by B. Marita