He Left for More Cabbages and Never Returned – Abel Mutua’s 30-Year Wait for His Dad
Kenyan actor and filmmaker Abel Mutua, widely known as Mkurugenzi, recently shared his emotional journey of growing up without his father. Despite facing numerous challenges, these experiences have driven him to become a dedicated and loving parent.
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In a heartfelt conversation with his wife Judy Nyawira, Abel recounted how his father left the family in 1994 when he was just 8 years old. Although young, Abel vividly remembers the impact of his father’s sudden departure.
“When I was very young, I knew for a fact that when it came to that time, Mungu akinibariki na mtoto, I was not the one to bolt,” Abel shared. “That was shaped by my experiences of growing up without a father.”
Abel described the hardships his mother endured, raising two children alone after their father left without notice. The family struggled, and Abel often wondered why his mother had to bear such a heavy burden.
Abel’s father left the family under the pretense of seeking better opportunities. During an economic downturn, his father took early retirement and a severance package, which he used to start a new venture, promising to support the family with its proceeds.
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“Alikacheza design ingine kali. He knew for a fact that amechoma,” Abel recounted. “Buda alipiga hesabu yake akaichukua. Akaingia dunda na hiyo pesa. Vile aligundua hiyo pesa inaisha akacome akaambia mathe niaje, niko na kafarm pale Molo, nataka niinge huko nataka niwatibu na macabbage… Akaingia Molo for three months,” he said.
After three months, Abel’s father returned with a bag of cabbages and potatoes, promising to bring more. However, he never came back, leaving Abel’s mother to fend for the family alone.
Despite his biological father’s abandonment, Abel found a new father figure when his mother remarried. Paulo, who entered their lives when Abel was thirteen, played a pivotal role in his upbringing.
“Mamangu alionekaniwa na tukapata baba mwingine. Paulo alikam nikiturn thirteen years. Alikam akanifundisha how to live in town. I have learned a lot from him,” Abel said. Paulo taught Abel valuable life lessons about taking risks and being responsible.
“He told me that I should never for a minute look at my sisters and think we are the same. He said he was not doing that because he hated me but because he had seen the results of men who had been babysat for way too long,” Abel shared.
Paulo’s influence was profound. He never physically disciplined Abel but used life’s challenges as teaching tools, leaving a lasting impression on Abel and shaping his views on parenting.
“The fact that aliniraise hata kama sikuwa wake, alinipatia heart yake na akaniambia furaha yake ni kuona mimi nikiwa a respectable member of the society,” Abel expressed.
Abel respects Paulo for raising him as his own child, despite not being his biological father. This intentional parenting has shaped Abel’s approach to raising his own daughter, Mumbus. He is determined to be present and supportive, ensuring she grows up feeling loved and valued.
