Even after making a huge sacrifice to sell part of his land and buy a boda boda to venture into the business, the sacrifice paid off in him losing his both eyes.
For Albert Mahagwa, life for the last four years has never been the same; he has not known peace either.
He sold off half an acre of his land at Rosterman in Kakamega to supplement his income. But just a day after riding his new motorcycle, he was attacked by robbers and left with life-long wounds.
“I was riding along the Kakamega-Rosterman road when two speeding motorcycles overtook me but stopped 500m ahead. There were three young men all armed with AK-47 rifles and they ordered me to surrender my motorcycle,” he said as quoted by the Standard.
“They then started shooting at me… I pretended to be dead and they took away my motorcycle.”
The 43-year old father of three was admitted at the Kakamega County Referral Hospital.
Three months later, he recovered and leased another boda boda but fate once again, conspired against him and he was attacked for the second time at the same spot in October 2014.
He said he was ferrying a passenger from Kakamega town at around 9:15pm when he was suddenly grabbed by the throat by his client forcing him to stop.
It is at this point that five men pounced on him with crude weapons.
“Five people pounced on me with machetes, rungus and blunt objects. They slashed me on the head and took away the motorcycle.”
One of the thugs gouged out his eyes and left him for the dead. He was later admitted to Kakamega referral hospital’s Intensive Care Unit.
He noted that all he wants is a for the county government to help out his family.
“I have been seeking help from friends. What I want is for the governor and Shieywe MCA Joab Mwamuto to help my wife find any kind of job to feed the family.”
Bukhungu Chief Maurice Muchiti revealed one suspect has been arrested in connection with the attack.