At just nine years old, Freddy Milanya, the well-known vocalist from the popular musical group Matata, experienced a life-changing accident during a seemingly innocent game. In a recent and candid interview on the Mic Cheque podcast, Milanya recounted the harrowing incident that resulted in a severe injury and ultimately led to the loss of his eye.
Milanya was walking across a field after school, sent by his mother to call his siblings home, when he unexpectedly walked into a game being played by other children.
“There were some kids who sharpened sticks like spears and were throwing them to each other,” he recalled. “I was walking, I didn’t see. All of a sudden, a stick came and went straight into my eye.”
The immediate aftermath is a series of fragmented and painful memories for Milanya. He remembers losing consciousness on the spot, then waking up as he was being rushed to the hospital in a public service vehicle.
“I have two memories: First, I blacked out. I also remember they put me in a matatu taking me to a hospital. I blacked out again,” he said.
His next clear memory is being in Kenyatta National Hospital, with the sharpened stick still embedded in his eye socket.
“The thing I remember is being in Kenyatta (National Hospital) somewhere with a stick in my head lying on a stretcher. The other thing I remember is being prepped for surgery, heading into theatre.”
Despite the best efforts of the doctors at Kenyatta National Hospital to stabilize the injury, the damage to his optic nerve was irreversible. Milanya remained under the care of the hospital for several weeks, where he underwent various examinations, wound management, and counseling to help him adjust to life with monocular vision. His story is a poignant reminder of how a moment of carelessness can forever alter a person’s life.
