- Kelly Lyton Ateku was moved to tears when he recently went to clear out his father’s old house in Ruiru and move his belongings back to the village
- Having grown up in the countryside, they enjoyed a relatively comfortable life that made them one of the most admired families
- What they didn’t know was that their old man had been living on a shoestring budget in the city to educate them
For decades, Danningtone Ateku quietly endured a life of hardship in a cramped, damp single room in Ruiru so that his children could grow up comfortably and attend school in the village.
Source: Facebook
His son, Kelly Lyton Ateku, recently shared the deeply personal story of his father’s sacrifices after visiting the modest room where the elderly welder had lived for years.
Kelly’s visit to dad’s old house
He told TUKO.co.ke that the visit, meant to clear out the house and move his father’s belongings back to their rural home, turned into a powerful reflection on the hidden struggles behind their family’s success.
The room was located in Kihunguro, Ruiru, inside a building locally known as “Ghorofa Chafu.” According to Kelly, the space was small, poorly lit and constantly damp.
“The floor was always wet. The room was always dark, and mould was unavoidable because of the dampness,” he recalled. “Standing in that empty room, I wondered how he ever made it habitable.”
Yet his father had lived there for years with a single purpose: paying school fees for his children.
When did Kelly’s dad move to Nairobi?
Danningtone Ateku moved to Nairobi when he was about eight years old, around 1968. After his formal education ended in Form Two at Highway Secondary School, he joined a technical school where he trained as a welder, a trade he has practised for more than 45 years.
While packing his father’s belongings, Kelly came across an old toolbox from the time his father joined the technical school.
Though badly damaged by the damp floor, the box still bore his admission number, a reminder of decades spent working tirelessly.
But the sacrifices went far beyond long hours at work. Kelly recalled visiting his father in Nairobi in 2017 as a teenager and being shocked by the living conditions.
“There was no electricity. The sofa was old. Everything looked tired,” he said. “From where I sat, I could see the kitchen, and it looked sad.”
Kelly’s family lived comfortably in village
Dinner was often the same: ugali and cabbage heavily cooked with tomatoes. For breakfast, his father would boil a litre of water on a paraffin stove and prepare a simple serving of soya that sustained him throughout the day until evening.
Meanwhile, back in the village, the family enjoyed a relatively comfortable life. Their home had plenty of milk from well-fed cows, along with chicken, eggs, fish and other foods that made them one of the most admired families in their community.
Unknown to them, the man funding that lifestyle was living frugally in town.
“He believed every coin saved was worth more,” Kelly said. “He would rather save 10 shillings than buy milk for his tea. Those coins eventually came together to pay our school fees.”
Kelly’s memorable moment with dad
Whenever he visited the village, however, he arrived with gifts from Nairobi; bread, pishori rice and other items that delighted the family and even attracted neighbours eager to share in the treats.
Despite his modest lifestyle, his careful savings eventually changed his children’s lives.
Kelly recounted a moment in 2017 when he called his father in tears, fearing he would never attend university after losing financial support from a benefactor. His father remained calm.
“He simply said, ‘Kelly, don’t worry. You’ll go to school,” he remembered.
Through years of savings, including investments such as shares bought in the late 1990s and early 2000s, the father managed to support his son’s education.
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Kelly’s father finally retires
Now, after decades in Nairobi and Ruiru, the family has closed that chapter of their father’s life. His belongings have been moved from the small room, and he has returned home to the village where he plans to enjoy retirement.
For Kelly, the moment marked the end of a long journey defined by sacrifice, discipline and quiet love after years of choosing loneliness in town so that his children could grow up in a stable environment.
Reflecting on his father’s life, Kelly said one lesson stands above all others: gratitude for the sacrifices made by parents.
“My Papa is now back home, finally enjoying the small fruits of his labour,” he said. “Just as he always had my back, he should never worry about his again.”
Eldoret mum gifted Subaru Forester
Meanwhile, a mother from Eldoret, Uasin Gishu county, could not hold back her tears of happiness after being gifted by her children.
Martin and his siblings went all out to express their love for their caring mother, surprising her with a brand-new car to kickstart the new month.
To make the moment special, they sent their mother’s friends to distract her, after which they drove in the brand-new Subaru Forester.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
