NAIROBI – Imagine picking a fight with your wife and then decide to walk away with nothing but a radio only to return years later with nothing but the same radio.

78-year-old man

Well, Edward Mwangi from Gikandu village in Murang’a county found himself in such a situation after he picked a quarrel with his wife 26 years ago.

Edward Mwangi decided to go and look for employment after he released things were not working out in his marriage.

According to Mwangi who spoke to The Standard, he decided to go and look for employment after he realised things were not working out in his marriage.

His first stop was in Nairobi where he worked for three years before he was offered a farm job in Gitangwanyi village in Nakuru by his landlord.

“We were not in good terms for a long time with my wife, so I opted to walk out and go look for a job like other men,” said Mwangi.

The 78-year-old only carried with him a small radio which gave him company most of the time.

At Gitangwanyi, his friends got concerned over his advanced age and resolved to trace his home in Murang’a where he had fond memories of.

Once they traced his home, his friends led by Waweru Kamau mobilised the rest of the people in his circles and raised money to facilitate his journey back home.

Waweru then escorted Mwangi back to Murang’a on Thursday, February 6, and their first stop was at Murang’a Police Station to help them trace his home.

Unfortunately, the only person the 78-year-old could remember was an old friend of his who was also his neighbour. He identified the neighbour as David Kirika whom he said operated a small business in Murang’s town.

They went looking for Kirika but later learnt he had moved to a different location but that did not kill their spirit. They left for Gikandu village and by good luck they found Kirika who helped Mwangi reunite with his family.

“Mwangi walked out of his home without a word never to return. His family has agonised for years as efforts to find his whereabouts were fruitless,” said Kirika.

“He came back home to grandchildren who have been looking for their grandfather for ages,” he added.

According to Waweru, Mwangi never missed a chance to talk about his home in Murang’a but he could not quite remember where his home was.

“He must have been close with Kirika as he talked about him most of the time. When Kirika saw him, he was in shock and could not believe his missing friend was finally back,” said Waweru.