Residents of Riwa Village, West Kayanda location in Homa Bay Sub-County, are celebrating the return of an 81-year-old man who went missing for 51 years.

Joseph Odongo left home in 1972 after disagreeing with his late brother when he was 30 years old.

While leaving home, Odongo told a few family members that he was going to Sikri beach, but he actually moved to Mombasa, where he lived for all those years. Due to poor communication, his family thought he was dead.

However, his sister-in-law Matasia Akelo, who is 90 years old, had a different thought. She always prayed that mzee Odongo would return back home.

During his Celebration, Mzee Odongo revealed that he had been working as a security guard in Likoni, Mombasa County.

According to West Kanyada Location Chief Kenneth Achieng, the old man walked to his office seeking help before he was reunited with his family.

In a similar case earlier this year, a 93-year-old man named Samuel Abuga returned home to Masabo village in Kisii County after disappearing for 51 years.

Abuga left home five decades ago when he was 40 years old and never contacted his family and non knew his whereabout, his elder brothers said they lost hope searching for him and thought he was killed during the Mau Mau times.

However, while sharing their ancestral land, they had to leave a small portion for him to build a house in case he came back.

“We got information that Abuga was in Makueni, we sat down and agreed to get him back home because this is where he belongs, “said Abuga’s brother.

In 2019, the family of Francis Muthua celebrated the return of an 80-year-old Muthua who vanished from his home in Ikumbi village, Kigumo, Murang’a county at the age of 30.

Muthua left home in 1968 after getting a share of wealth from his father, leaving behind his wife and six children and relocated to Kisii town where he set up charcoal business.

“Life was not any better there because I squandered all the money I got from charcoal burning on alcohol,” the 81-year-old said.

After squandering all the money, he left Kisii County and settled to Narok where he spent a better part of his life and even acquired a new wife but parted ways after the birth of their child.