From depths of despair to success despite disability

Francis Muiruri has not allowed his disability to define his life.

Despite contemplating suicide alongside his mother, Muiruri has endured and emerged victorious.

When the Star visited his home in Witeithie ward, Juja subcounty, Kiambu county, Muiruri was only too eager to take us for a tour of his poultry farm. This is despite walking with crutches.  

He took some time to share his remarkable journey of the numerous challenges, including severe stigma and the daunting reality of a life with disability.

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Diagnosed with polio at a young age, Muiruri had it rough. Many are the times when he lost hope and even attempted suicide.  

“As you can see, I was born with a disability,” Muiruri says.

Born Kegio in Gatanga, he was diagnosed with polio at a young age, and that is where he got his disability.

“My disability is not due to an accident but from birth, and as you know, whenever you have a disability, there are a lot of challenges that people come across, especially stigma,” he says.

EDUCATION HURDLES

Before he got crutches to help him walk, he used to crawl. It slowed his academic journey.

“My agemates were able to join school, but it was different for me because of my disability, and I could not be accommodated in most schools,” Muiruri says.

A visitor suggested he apply to join a special school. His mother could not afford school fees, so they organised a fundraising.

This enabled him to buy a wheelchair and join Joytown Special School in 1994 from nursery school all the way up to Class 6.

The lack of school fees forced him to drop out of school.

“I remember one day when the school principal called me to his office and told me that my school fees balance was too huge, and that the school could no longer accommodate me,” he recalled.

His mother was doing casual jobs of harvesting coffee and the income was not enough for food and fees.

“We could not even afford bus fare to and from school, so my mother used to carry me on her back plus the wheelchair and my luggage,” Muiruri recalls.

At one time, his mother had contemplated on the two of them committing suicide.

Muiruri says he was able to change his mother’s mind against that and they soldiered on.  

“I encouraged my mother and told her not to lose hope and that a day will come when I will carry her with my car as a way of being grateful for how she carried me on her back,” he said.

He stayed home for a few years until a good Samaritan offered to pay for his school fees.

He continued his education until he attended college and pursued a course on accounting.

FORTUNATE CAREER

Muiruri did not confine himself to academics. During college, he excelled in handball for persons with disabilities, earning opportunities to represent Kenya internationally.

Following a triumphant tournament representing Kiambu county, Muiruri crossed paths with the former Governor, William Kabogo.

This encounter marked a turning point in his life.

“After congratulating me, the governor asked if I needed any support from him, and I said a job as an accountant,” he said.

“He directed me to go to his office as soon as I graduated from college. That is how I got my job as an accountant at the county, where I work to date.”

Muiruri overcame all the odds along the way and achieved his dream career.

Today, Muiruri is not only an accomplished accountant but also a renowned poultry farmer, earning him the nickname 'Francis wa Kuku'.

He sells day-old chicks, layers, and indigenous chickens in bulk, with prices ranging from Sh200 for chicks to Sh1,500 for indigenous chickens.

Beyond selling chickens and eggs, Muiruri also assists aspiring poultry farmers by providing and installing cages.

The cost of the chicken cages ranges from Sh15,000 to Sh32,000 to Sh50,000, depending on capacity.

The cages carry 50, 32 and 15 birds respectively, and it also comes with other supportive compartments like the feeding, water and egg collection compartments.

“With as little as Sh15,000, you can start poultry farming and be a supplier of chicken meat or eggs, depending on the space you have,” he advises.

Success in poultry farming, he says, hinges on the feeding system and the quality of the feeds given to the birds.

Muiruri’s journey from a young boy with polio to a successful entrepreneur is a powerful testament to resilience and determination.

The story has been produced by the Star in partnership with WAN IFRA Women in News Social Impact Reporting Initiative