Joy as 76- year old man returns home after vanishing for 35 years, though empty-handed.

A family in Mwea Village, Gatundu North Constituency could not hide their joy when they welcomed back their 76-year old father who vanished from home for 35 years ago.

Mzee Lawrence Njuguna left home in 1986 for Kajiado where he eked a living as a charcoal trader. When things did not work out well, he crossed over to neighbouring Tanzania where he sold sand for construction for over 10 years.

His departure to Tanzania led to a complete breakdown in communication between him and the family, leaving them in limbo for the next 35 years.

Lawrence explained how life turned against him, leading a life of abject poverty to a point that he couldn’t even afford his fare back home.

He also attributes part of the reason why he never communicated with them was the fact that he did not have any of their contacts.

Lawrence returned home empty-handed to find grownup kids and several grandchildren.

His wife Mary Nyathira could not hide her joy despite all what she had gone through for all those years, leaving Samuel Irungu, their first-born son, with the responsibility of the head of the family and looking after his four younger siblings.