Losing a parent is painful, but for General Chepkulei, the death of his beloved uncle, James Chirchir, means losing the man who stepped in to become his father when he needed one most.
In an emotional tribute, Chepkulei mourned Chirchir as more than an uncle, calling him his hero, his foundation, and the person who shaped his life after he lost his father and the people he expected to stand by him walked away.
Chirchir took in Chepkulei
While others abandoned him during one of the most difficult moments of his life, Chirchir opened his home and heart, taking him in and raising him as his own son.
Chepkulei recalled how his uncle met his needs, paid his school fees, bought him clothes, and instilled discipline, ensuring he had the guidance and security every child deserves.
“You did not just take me in, you took me as your own son. You wiped my tears, you paid my fees, you clothed me, you disciplined me, you taught me what it means to be a man,” he wrote.
The grieving man credited Chirchir with laying the foundation for the person he became, acknowledging that his education, character and strength were products of his uncle’s decision not to abandon him.
For Chepkulei, his uncle’s greatest gift went beyond material support. Chirchir gave him a sense of belonging at a time when he could easily have felt alone in the world.
Uncle never made him feel like orphan
He remembered finding a home in his uncle’s house, guidance in his voice and security in his presence.
Even the discipline Chirchir administered, including the use of a cane, formed part of the upbringing Chepkulei recalled with gratitude, as he reflected on the man who helped shape his character.
“You never once made me feel like an orphan. In your house, I had a home. In your voice, I had guidance,” he said.
His tribute painted the picture of a man who willingly took on the responsibilities of fatherhood, sacrificing his own comfort to give a vulnerable child an opportunity to build a future.
Chepkulei said the experience taught him that family was not defined by blood alone, but also by the willingness to stand by someone when they had nowhere else to turn.
Chepkulei reflects on uncle’s sacrifices
As he came to terms with the loss, the businessman described the pain of burying a man he had come to regard as his father.
He lamented that Chirchir’s death had left a void in his life, with the familiar places and routines associated with his uncle now serving as reminders of the man he had lost.
“Today I don’t just bury my uncle, I bury my father, my hero, my foundation,” he wrote, acknowledging that although his uncle was gone, the lessons he imparted and the values he instilled would remain with him.
He also pledged to honour Chirchir’s memory by living in a way that would make him proud, expressing gratitude for the love and sacrifices that helped shape his life.
Chepkulei concluded his tribute with a heartfelt farewell to the man who had given him a home, an education and the love of a father when he needed it most.
“To the world you were just James Chirchir, to me you were everything,” he said. “Rest well, my beloved uncle and father. Until we meet again.”
