A 39-year-old man has been living with bullets lodged in his chest for 16 years is appealing to well-wishers and the government to help him raise money to seek medical help.

On December 26, 2007, Collins Kiprono of Telanet village, Kericho County, was hit by bullets as police battled demonstrators during the 2007/2008 post-election violence and his life has never been the same since.

In an interview with KNA, Kiprono says his health took a turn for the worse in 2020.
“It is not easy to live with bullets in your body,” says Kiprono who needs a CT scan to help determine his next cause of action.

A look at his back reveals two distinct permanent marks clearly showing the bullets, which are embedded in his chest cavity, entered from behind.

The father of three earns a living by roasting maize at Kapsoit market.

“I used to grow maize and beans but due to my failing health, I stopped. I buy maize from other farmers and roast and sell them in Kapsoit market. The money I earn caters for the basic needs of my family,” he added.

He says he understands that with the bullets lodged in his body, he is living on borrowed time.

“For the last three years, each time I engage in heavy tasks like digging or carrying heavy loads, I cough out blood and I experience laboured breathing. I cannot immediately stand up straight when I wake up in the morning,” Kiprono narrates.

He says he had defaulted on his NHIF contributions as the earnings from his maize roasting business were inadequate to pay for all his needs.

“From July 2013, I have defaulted on my Sh500 per month National Health Insurance Fund contributions. Currently my two daughters are in primary school, my eldest in Class Eight and I am not able to go for another CT-scan,” added Kiprono.

The first born in a family of three says that on the fateful day, he had visited his grandmother at Kipchimchim village on the outskirts of Kericho Town and decided pass town while going back home.

On reaching town, he ran into a crowd of people and was unsure what was going on. Though curious, the sight of police officers brought him to the reality that all was not well and he started to run with no clear direction where he was going.

Suddenly, he recalls, his body went weak and he began to sweat profusely. Then he fell. At the sight of blood soaking his clothes, he cried for help.

Passersby rushed him to the Kericho County Referral Hospital where he was immediately taken for an operation and later admitted.

He remained there for three days before being discharged but bullets were still lodged in his chest as doctors said removing them would result in death.

“I came to know that I was shot and two bullets were lodged in my chest. I only got to know about this from the doctors attending to me while admitted at the Kericho County Referral Hospital,” he added.

An X-Ray carried out at Tenwek Mission Hospital confirmed that removing the bullets would be very risky.
Challenges

A medical discharge summary dated January 17, 2008 states that “a gunshot wound to right chest, retained bullet.”

The doctors advised him to attend medical checkups on a regular basis, but he has not been able to keep up with the appointments because of lack of money.

“Being a Class Eight dropout, I have dreams of my children growing up to be better than I did. I have never disclosed to them about my condition,” he says.

His wife Caroline Chepkoech says he met Kiprono in 2010 and decided to spend the rest of her life with him knowing well that life with him would be full of challenges because of medical condition.
Chepkoech is worried that her husband has lately been coughing up a lot of blood.