It has been 14 years since my father disappeared – Comedian Kartelo painfully recounts

Fast-rising Kenyan comedian, Kartelo has revealed how his father´s disappearance more than 14 years ago, saw his mother solely bring them up, through blue-collar jobs.

Real names, Nick Chege said one morning, his father left for work as usual, only for them to realize, that was the last they set their eyes on him.

My father just disappeared. It was in 2006. He just woke up one morning, went to work and never came back. We have never seen him since.

Sharing their childhood struggles, the funny man told K24´s Betty Kyallo:

My mum had been posted to work in Murang´s as a teacher. My father convinced her to live at his home since he was from the area. But it did no go as planned, her in-laws beat her up, they stabbed her. She was admitted in hospital for a long time. My father left when she was bedridden. She did not have a job and was still recovering. So it really hurt my mother.

Sadly, the dad was a responsible man but depression saw him opt for alcoholism.

Alikua family man mpoa but alikua alcoholic. Na ilikua inatumess sana ju pesa yote alikua anapata, ilikua inaenda kwa pombe. But alikua depressed.

Disappearance

Apparently, their dad was fond of leaving home and returning days later and so soon after he disappeared they thought it was the norm, only never to return.

Tulikua tunadhani ni jokes. Mzae wangu alikua conman fulani so alikua ana disappear from time to time. Mzae wangu angeenda uskie alicon mse dooh, maze anadisappear two months halafu all of a sudden unaona ametoka jela. Anatoka Inda. So kidogo kidogo, maze anadisappear mnaenda mnapata alikua Mombasa huko hata alibuy lorry; wao hubebanga mchanga.

Narrating the fateful day and months later, Kartelo recalled:

So venye alidisappear tukatake kama kawaida mzae, tukajua atarudi tu. Then one month, two months, ikaenda. One year, two years. So tuli realize after two years mzae amedisappear. Kutoka hiyo time, sahii ni over 10 years. So after hapo ndio search ikaanza akatafutwa kwa redio…wazazi wake walikua na dooh so walimtafuta sana but hakupatikana.

Single mother

Since their dad´s disappearance, their mum had to take up the role of bringing up Kartelo and his two siblings, through meager earnings.

On a paycheque of Ksh 150 a day, the comedian´s mum raised them, by doing laundry.

She inspired my comedy. We lived in poverty, had a lot of problems but we made jokes about it.

Despite the setbacks, Kartelo lives to celebrate his mum and cherish her love and care for them.

Naeza mwambia shukran sana mum na everything yenye nafanya nam owe a lot. Yaani singekua hapa, maybe ningekua kwa street ama ningekua nimedeady hata yeye angentokea kama mzae but amekua mstrong. She is the strongest woman mwenye najua and every day nitaishi tu kuimpress na kufanya anything yenye tu naeza fanya kumake sure ameishi ile life hakuishi akiwa anatulea. Mum ni mspecial sana.

His message to their dad is one – to come back home and he shall be welcomed:

Naeza mwambia maze arudi home mambo iko fine na vijana wake wamegrow. Aliniachanga nikiwa mtoi mdogo, arudi tu si tunampenda na tunamtabua sana na nimemmisss.