“I Just Want to Go Back Home” – Vihiga Man Says After 47 Years in Nairobi, Remembers Little About His Past

At 71 years old, Mzee Zakayo Matiti Mugofu has only one wish — to return to his ancestral home in Vihiga County after spending nearly half a century in Nairobi.

For him, the city life that once promised opportunities has now lost meaning.

Zakayo left his rural home in Madzuu Village, Mungoma Ward, in 1978. Back then, he was a young man of 24, full of energy and dreams of making it big in the capital.

Like many others from upcountry, he believed Nairobi held the key to a brighter future. Indeed, the city became his home, but he admits it was never truly “home.”

Now, after 47 long years, time and age are catching up with him. His memory of the past has started to fade, but he still recalls important pieces of his life before the city swallowed him.

He remembers his late father, Luka Matete, and his wife, Rebecca Muhoja, with whom he had a daughter. Unfortunately, life pulled them apart, and since then, he has lived without his family close by.

For Zakayo, the desire to return to his roots is more than nostalgia. It is about belonging, reconnecting with the land where he was born, and finding peace in his old age.

“I want to go back home, even if I cannot remember everything,” he told those who know his story.

His plea has touched many who believe that no matter how far one goes, home will always remain the final resting place of the heart.

Community members say Zakayo’s longing is a reminder of the countless men and women who leave villages in search of success in cities, only to realize later that what matters most is family and identity.

Those close to him say he still hopes to reunite with his daughter, though he barely remembers what she looks like.

To anyone in Madzuu Village who may know Rebecca Muhoja or recall Zakayo’s family, this is an appeal to help him reconnect with his roots.

Experts in family and social relations believe such cases highlight the importance of keeping family ties strong even when life takes people far away.

They say migration, work struggles, and urban hardships often weaken bonds, but as people age, they yearn for reconnection.

On social media, news of Zakayo’s story has sparked mixed reactions. Some sympathized with him, wishing him success in finding his family.

Others shared light-hearted jokes, suggesting that disappearing for 47 years only to return now might shock those he left behind.

Despite the laughter and criticism, one fact remains clear: Zakayo’s heart longs for home.