When Daniel Mutai donated his first wheelchair to a needy pupil in 2007, he did not know this simple act of kindness would turn into an enduring and profound legacy.
At the time, he was still a student teacher at Bomet Township Primary School.
“I did not have a salary and having to pay my own school fees made it even harder. But the pupil had a very dilapidated wheelchair and I knew I had to do something,” he told the Star.
One act of kindness bore another, weaving a tapestry of relationships with the pupils, their parents and teachers.
The 47-year-old father of six does his humanitarian work largely on his own, relying on funds from his own pocket and sometimes from well-wishers.
Within no time Mutai, was not only distributing wheelchairs, canes and walking frames to pupils in Bomet County but also to persons with disability in the South Rift and more remote areas.
He has been to Narok, Kericho, parts of Nyanza and even Turkana. When Mutai is not using his bicycle to deliver the devices, he is covering difficult terrain in remote areas by matatu.
His most touching and inspiring moment was a visit to Turkana county in July 2022 when he saw a disabled child crawling to school.
“The boy had abrasion bruises on his knees and hands, for lack of thick covering. An older child from his neighbourhood would carry him on her back for a few kilometres, but she had to put him down to crawl the rest of the distance. Seeing this child broke me,” Mutai said.
“But the smile on his face after receiving the wheelchair gave me the energy to continue.”
Mutai’s humanitarian work did not start with supporting persons with disability.
He comes from a very humble background. His parents were too poor to send him to high school, forcing him to take a job breaking stones to pay his school fees.
After finishing high school, he continued breaking up stones and selling the ballast to Bomet Teachers Training College. One day, he got a contract and was paid handsomely.
"The money was too much so I decided to sponsor some students at the college. The institution rewarded my kindness and offered me a place,” Mutai said.
His teaching practice would shift his humanitarian acts from supporting needy students to supporting persons with disability.
Mutai’s deeds have not gone unnoticed. His work has been honoured by the National Council for Persons with Disabilities, the Teachers Service Commission, the National Diversity and Inclusion Initiative and by Narok and Bomet counties.
The Bomet certificate read, “In appreciation of distinguished service and support for persons with disability in sourcing donation of assistive devices, such as mobile carts, crutches and, white canes, Bomet county government, through the department of gender, culture and social services, congratulates you for partnering with us in supporting PWD.”
The Teachers Service Commission has given him lighter duties to give him more time to help PWDs.
The humanitarian journey has been challenging.
“Working as an individual means I rely heavily on individuals and my own pocket to support my work. Many organisations prefer funding registered organisations because of accountability,” Mutai said.
“Sometimes I take loans to meet the many requests that I receive.”
While a huge amount of his money is spent on his volunteer work, his family has never lacked, Mutai said.
“Right now, I have three children in high school and none has been sent home for school fees because well-wishers keep coming through for me,” he said.
Two weeks ago, Mutai registered his organisation, the Daniel Mutai Foundation, for funding from bigger donors. Mutai is one of the nominees of the competitive Star Person of The Year – an annual award that recognises individuals whose consistent work has changed lives for the better.
Ten nominees were shortlisted and from them, the winner will be declared.
The award also recognises ordinary people or opinion shapers who have done the most within the year to positively influence lives.
The paper has been running the awards since 2018. The awards committee outlined four beacons to guide in nominating and choosing the winner.
The selected awardee must have been engaging in activities to make Kenya or their community a better place.
Must have greatly inspired or helped fellow citizens. He or she must have invented a solution that has dramatically changed lives and the person with the qualities of honesty and integrity.
The public was encouraged to nominate a person working to engender good governance and social justice.
This has been a historic year in its own right, especially in areas of governance, rule of law and constitutionalism.
The Star political editor Felix Olick, who also chairs the award’s committee, asked Kenyans to nominate the best.
Olick said so much has happened this year with some events having huge impacts on the country. World record holder for 1500m Faith Kipyegon was last year’s Star Person of the Year.
Wambui Nyutu, the current vice
chairperson at the National Cohesion and Integration Commission
and the youngest-ever constitutional commissioner in the country,
bagged the award in 2022.
