President Uhuru Kenyatta must have been a frustrated man at the time he accepted Dennis Murimi’s offer of a Sh20 PK chewing gum on September 1, 2017.
His election had just been invalidated by the country’s highest court and he decided to immediately take up his campaign to Burma Market. Murimi helped the president chew his frustrations away at the time.
Uhuru graciously accepted the humble offer and cupped his benefactor’s head in his hand whispering something in his ear. But now Murimi is a frustrated man and is asking the president to help him.
“He simply asked me what I wanted from him, and being in shock, I could not talk at that time, but he promised to look for me,” Murimi says.
One year down the line and Murimi, 22, still hustles and shuffles. He is requesting President Uhuru to return the favour in good faith.
“Aliniitisha, na mimi nikampea tu (He asked for the chewing gum and I just gave him), he is the president,” he says.
Murimi laments saying that it seems the president has forgotten about him. When he accepted to buy from him, he knew that his life would change for the better.
But things have gone from bad to worse for Murimi as his business is not going as planned.
“I hear when people get in touch with the president, their lives change, I do not know why my case is different,” Murimi complains.
Murimi is a roadside hawker selling his wares along Jogoo and Landhies road. His target market are motorists along the route prone with traffic jam.
“He told me he would look for me, life has become tougher for me, in fact, that incident has turned me into a laughing stock among my peers and colleagues,” Murimi reveals.
Mockers ask him why his life hasn’t changed for the better even after meeting, speaking with and offering gum to the president.
“Bibi hakuli nyasi, na hii hawking yangu niliona sitaweza, afadhali akae kwao na mtoi (Feeding my wife and child is hard, so she went back to her parents’ home),” he jokingly says of his girlfriend and a three-month-old son.
Murimi believes he can only cater for his loved ones if the president comes through for him in form of business capital or job.
His preferred job is serving in the Kenya Army after attending the National Youth Service in the year 2016 for six months in Naivasha.
“Or any other job or even a business, I just want to remind him that I am still here, hawking sweets and chewing gum, I hope he does not forget, but I was happy to meet him,” Murimi says. “All I am asking from his Excellency is to return the favour and change my life for the better.”