A recent video featuring a man who bears a striking resemblance to Kenya’s inaugural president, Mzee Jomo Kenyatta, has captured significant public interest.
Michael Ngige, residing in the United States, has frequently been mistaken for the late president by numerous individuals.
In an interview, he acknowledged the comparisons made between him and Kenya’s founding leader.
“People often remark that I closely resemble Mzee Jomo Kenyatta. This perception began in my youth,” he stated.
During the interview, Ngige revealed that he was born at Pumwani Maternity Hospital and spent his childhood in the Jericho neighborhood of Kenya.
As a young boy, his peers would often comment on his lack of resemblance to his siblings, instead asserting that he looked like Jomo.
He recounted the challenges he faced in his relationship with his mother when he began inquiring about his father.
His questions were typically met with hostility and led to no resolution. Ngige’s mother is currently 80 years old.
“When I asked her about my father, she struck me so hard that I collided with the wall and saw stars. She punished me and cautioned me against repeating the question,” he remembered.
Ngige grew up with both psychological and physical scars from the beatings. He felt he was being unjustly punished for his quest for the truth regarding his father.
Consequently, a divide emerged between him and his mother.
Although he referred to another man as his father during his childhood, various issues ignited his curiosity about his biological father.
He noted that the man he called his father did not extend the same affection to him as he did to other children.
The persistent absence of love and the harsh treatment from his mother ultimately influenced his decision to leave home at an early age.
“That man did not love me but his kids, because I was not biologically his. My mum always listened to her man and would occasionally punish me whenever her lover told me I had done something wrong. Sometimes I would run away and sleep outside or sleep at my neighbours because of being beaten by my mum,” he added.
To this day, his mother has not disclosed the identity of his true biological father.
Nevertheless, Ngige asserts that his mother’s Member of Parliament at that time was Mbiyu Koinange, and they resided in relatively close proximity.
“When I mention to her that people say I resemble Kenyatta, she acknowledges that there is indeed a resemblance, but insists that he is not my biological father,” he stated.
Ngige also noted that following the 2022 elections, he engaged in a discussion with former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, who suggested that he appeared to be a reincarnation of Jomo Kenyatta.
He further mentioned having conversations with Francis Atwoli and Eugene Wamalwa.
Ngige disclosed that he relocated to the United States in 2012 to escape what he characterized as political turmoil.
Throughout his time in America, he was frequently mistaken for Jomo Kenyatta.
Initially, he was accommodated by a church, and his first employment was in food delivery; however, he is currently involved in the local excursions industry.
Ngige also shared that he has two children residing in Kenya.
