Bravine Mwechelesi, an 11-year-old boy whose family went looking for him after he disappeared from home on December 23, 2022, has revealed the reason why he decided to trek all the way from Lugari to Mumias.
Bravine reported to a police station in Bungoma after walking for 16 days and nights and camping on shop verandas in his journey, but he didn’t reveal how he found food and water.
The Grade Four pupil at Sirende Primary School said he ran away from home after a friend beat him while he was grazing his family’s goats.
“I left the goats and took my way to Mumias, just walking and figuring out my way,” he told the Western Kenya Times.
His sister, who reported to Western Kenya Times about her family’s plight of searching for him after not setting eyes on him for two weeks, said the goats he was herding returned home by themselves on the evening of December 23, 2022.
Bravine said he found his way to Bungoma town, 45 km away from home, before a stranger picked him and took him to Bungoma Police Station.
Police officers there interrogated him and after realizing his destination was Mumias to his grandfather’s home, gave him fare and took him to the bus station to board a matatu.
He said he reached Ekero before he took a motorbike to his grandfather’s home where he’s now safe and sound.
His parents, who were losing sleep for not knowing the fate of their son, were glad after receiving news that he had been finally been found.
“We thank God that he was found safe and sound, despite not understanding what drove him away from home,” his mother said.
Sam Oduor is the founder and one of the editors at WKT. With a strong background in Communication and Journalism, Sam is an experienced digital media expert currently building a team of young professionals dedicated to telling the story of our community in a unique, authentic way.
