MASINGA, MACHAKOS – For nearly four decades, Naftali Onyiego Tinega has lived more than 300 kilometres from his ancestral home. Now 78, he harbours a singular wish: to return to his family in Kisii County, a journey he cannot make alone as the path back has faded from his memory. His story, a poignant account of separation and the longing for reunion, has emerged from Masinga in Machakos County, where he currently resides.

According to his own account shared with community member Christine Ndanu Kadot on Wednesday, November 19, 2025, Mr. Tinega left his home in Nyandiba village, within the Eronge area of Marani, Kitutu Chache, in 1988. Like many young men of his generation, he was in search of better economic opportunities. He boarded a bus operated by the now-defunct Overseas Trading Company (OTC), a popular long-distance carrier at the time that connected many rural areas to urban centres. The OTC buses were a household name in East Africa but eventually ceased operations in the late 1980s to early 1990s.

Mr. Tinega settled in the Ukambani region, where he has lived for the subsequent 37 years. However, the passage of time has erased his recollection of the specific route and bus stage for his rural home, a common challenge for those who have been away for extended periods before the advent of modern telecommunications.

In his appeal for assistance, Mr. Tinega provided detailed names of the family he longs to see. He stated he is married to Rebecca Mokeira Nyangira, and together they have three children: Abel Mogaka Kerandi, Redempter Nyaboke Kerandi, and Alex Obwocha Kerandi. He hopes that by sharing these names, someone from his community will recognise them and facilitate a reunion.

To further aid in his identification, he also recalled the names of his parents, Tinega Onyiego and Wilkister Monyenye, and his two brothers, Kennedy Tinega and Meshack Tinenga. He also named his uncles as Mayieka Oriku and Lawrence Nyang'au. These details provide crucial leads for community leaders, local administrators, and the public in Kisii County to trace his lineage and locate his surviving relatives.

The administrative area he identified as his home, Kitutu Chache, is a recognised constituency in Kisii County, which is today divided into Kitutu Chache North and Kitutu Chache South. The mention of Marani specifically points towards the area now known as Kitutu Chache North constituency.

Cases of individuals returning home after decades are not unheard of in Kenya, often resulting in emotional, community-led reunions. In a recent, similar instance in October 2024, a 70-year-old man named Joseph Nyanga returned to his Suneka, Kisii, home after being missing for 34 years, having also forgotten the way back. Such stories underscore the deep cultural importance of kinship and ancestral roots within Kenyan society.

Community members and well-wishers in Masinga have begun circulating Mr. Tinega’s plea, hoping that the power of social networks and media will bridge the 37-year gap. The appeal is a race against time, fueled by an elderly man's profound desire to spend his remaining years with the family he left behind. As of this report, no family members have come forward, and further investigation is required to confirm contact.