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Popular Kenyan TV actor Gibson Mbugua Gathu is set to undergo a kidney transplant after President Kenyatta and other well-wishers came to his aid.
Gathu, best known for his role as a prosecutor on the long-running TV comedy programme ‘Vioja Mahakamani’, needed at least Sh6 million to undergo the procedure at Mediheal Hospital in Eldoret early next month.
On Saturday, family and friends held a fundraiser at Charter Hall in Nairobi where Gathu disclosed that President Kenyatta contributed Sh2 million towards his treatment.
“President Kenyatta who is a good friend did send his personal donation of Sh2 million. We as a family and the committee thank him for the support,” Gathu told Nation.
Gathu, who has reportedly been ailing since 2020, said they almost hit the target after also receiving support from local artists and Kenyans in the diaspora.
“Dialysis is expensive. Your insurance cover gets exhausted and you start spending off your pocket. You know, insurance is limited. Every day you visit, the dialysis is from Sh10,000 and you have to go three times a week,” Gathu said.
He added: “And they don’t pay for the third. So that has forced me to dig into my pockets and that has drained family finances. So, I saw that if I get a transplant, my life will get back to normal and I will do my work.”
The thespian divulged that most of the money raised will be spent on post-surgery care.
“Actually, the cost of surgery is not that expensive. What is expensive is the post-surgery care because those drugs are very expensive. The anti-rejection drugs are very expensive, and there is no use having a transplant while I can’t get the drugs, which I’ll consume for the rest of my life. That’s why we need Sh6 million for the post-care,” he added.
‘Vioja Mahakamani’, one of Kenya’s pioneer comedy series, has been airing for over 25 years on Kenya Broadcasting Corporation (KBC).
Comments
Why not every Kenyan? How about those that are not known by Uhuru? Make healthcare affordable.
Kindly update your reasoning. This man is known in every home in Kenya. For you to suggest uhuru contributed because he knows him is kind of small thinking. Also read the story carefully the has the insurance but can only pay certain amount
This is how the system works in Kenya
Every Kenyan household? How many people owned tv beyond Nairobi and it’s environment. And how many were well up to own one? Healthcare for all Kenyan Baltimore guy wahuna humbira nda.
Congratulations you have also joined the class of small thinker. By late 1990 and early 2000 many households in rural areas owned a TV called Great Wall. May be by then you were not born. In fact it was costing as little as 5000 shillings
You are the small thinker why not change the insurance system. How about Kenyans who are not known in every home? Shenzi wewe.
Its time to address the high cost of drugs in Kenya and ask ourselves why is dialysis and anti rejection drugs so expensive in Kenya in comparison to other east african countries including Rwanda and Uganda?? Surely we may be ripe for a dictator to slump on the cartels and bring sense to our fiscal policies!!
Wale watu wa bottom up who pretend to care so much about the common man wako wapi saa hii..? They can afford to spend billions for campaign but help this guy.