The twin boy whose leg and hand were ‘eaten‘ by a pig

Mukhwana lost his leg and arm at one year when he and his twin brother were left home alone asleep. Now six years old, he needs artificial limbs to enable him attend school like his brother Wamono who is in P 1, writes David Mafabi

As I get to Itaala village in Bushika sub-county, Bududa District, a little boy with a disability shouts from the verandah of their home.

“Bbolela balikhusya e Mbale, bandelereko shikele, nase ingana khusya isomelo enga bashase,” loosely meaning, tell those who are going to Mbale to buy for me a leg and I also go to school like my friends.

These words pierce me like a sword when I turn to look at this little boy; Amos Mukhwana, six, who is seated outside their house without a leg and hand. Although he has reached school-going age and looks bright from the way he speaks and responds to questions, the parents cannot take him to school. He keeps asking for his leg and hand to enable him walk, play and go to school like others in the village.

Mukhwana who is a twin brother to Simon Wamono, six, now in Primary One at Bukhaukha Primary School was born a normal child and only lost his leg at the age of one when he and his brother were left home alone.

Ms Justine Watalunga, the children’s caretaker says that in 2005, when the boys’ mother had gone to the forest to look for firewood, she (mother) left the two children sleeping inside the house in the morning hours of one Thursday.

On discovering that the children were asleep, the maid who was left to take care of the children also decided to go to the well to fetch water and during that time, Mukhwana, then one year old, woke up and crawled towards the door way of the house.

“Immediately the boy reached the doorway, a pig went for him, got him out of the house and started eating him and by the time the maid came from the well, she found the boy crying as the hungry pig kept on eating him,” said Ms Watalunga.

She revealed that efforts by the maid to beat the pig to leave the little child were fruitless as the pig ate up the leg and edged to the left hand.

The maid made an alarm that attracted the neighbours as the hungry and turned violent pig ate the boy. “We knew the boy was dead but when the villagers arrived, they tried to beat the pig to leave the boy but the pig did not and kept charging towards the people and then went back to continue eating.” added Ms Watalunga.

It was after one person tricked the pig with a dry banana leaf and as it edged toward this person, that another person cut it using a machete and the baby was removed and whisked to the hospital for treatment.

She revealed that by the time they rescued the Mukhwana from the pig, it had eaten the entire hand and leg and was edging towards another part.

“The little boy (Mukhwana) was in pain. There was no part of the limb we carried to the hospital because they had all been eaten up but thank God that the medical worker treated the boy and he is alive although without the hand and leg,” says Ms Watalunga.

Mukhwana’s father Michael Wakwale, a peasant farmer says what bothers them most is that the boy sees his twin brother walking and keeps asking about his leg and hands and because he can’t explain, tears just roll down his eyes.

“When he discovers that I am coming to town [Mbale] he tells me to buy for him a leg and the hand to walk like his twin brother, to play and go to school. I appeal to any good Samaritan who can get him an artificial limb so that he goes to school,” said Ms Watalunga, the boy’s caretaker.

During a programme on Top Radio about disability and how children with disabilities can be helped to enroll in school, the Mbale Education officer in charge of special needs, Mr Hannington Bakumbe, got a call from Ms Watalunga about this boy.

“I was listening to the radio about two weeks ago and somehow came across this programme and a few minutes later, it was time for people to call in. I called in, contacted him[Bakumbe] and I am happy that he has promised to help the boy enroll in school,” says Ms Watalunga.

Bakumbe has linked the boy to Little Sisters of St Francis (Tororo Diocese) who have since taken him to the orthopedic department of Mbale Regional Hospital. Measurements were done early last week and what was left was getting artificial limbs to aid his movement. Bakumbe and some well wishers managed to raise money (Shs400,000) for a limb which was fixed on Tuesday.

However, they could not get a ‘collapsible’ arm but through networking, they got in touch with Hon. Moody Awori, the Chairman of the Association of the Physically Handicapped in Kenya. Bakumbe says they can get a ‘collapsible’ arm at Shs540,000 from this association which has a branch at Busia Kenya Main Hospital. They have however not raised enough funds and appeal to well wishers to donate whatever they can to help Mukhwana whose operation is scheduled for June 3, 2010. Mukhwana also needs a standard wheelchair to support him since there will be times when the limbs will have to be removed for cleaning.

The other challenge is that the limbs must be replaced every year and new measurements must be made because the boy will naturally grow in height and size.

Bakumbe has also asked the Little Sisters of St Francis to cater for the boy’s education. Ms Watalunga and him are grateful to however has helped this boy lead a “close to normal” life and kindly ask good Samaritans for help.

To help to Mukhwana contact his caretaker, Ms Justine Watalunga on 0782914866 or Mr Bakumbe on 0779666874