Labour and Social Protection Cabinet Secretary Alfred Mutua has shared the remarkable journey that saw his childhood fascination with aircraft turn into a passion for flying, decades after he first dreamed of becoming a pilot.
Mutua said his interest in aviation began when he was a nine-year-old boy growing up in Riruta Satellite, Nairobi.
From outside the wooden shack where he lived with his parents and siblings, he would spend time watching planes flying across the sky.
“One day, something stirred inside my nine-year-old skinny frame, and I wanted to fly one day - not as a passenger but as a pilot,” Mutua recalled.
The dream gained momentum when his class at Toi Primary School visited Wilson Airport. The young Mutua was fascinated by the aircraft, particularly the engines and cockpit.
His curiosity deepened during regular visits to the Kenya National Library, where he discovered a picture book by American writer Dale Carnegie that explored the history of human flight, from the Wright brothers to modern aircraft.
Mutua said the book reinforced his determination to one day take to the skies himself.
Years later, while studying in the United States on scholarship, the dream remained alive. He secured a job at Spokane Airport in Washington, allowing him to remain close to aircraft and pilots while pursuing his career in communication.
However, he said family responsibilities, children, his career and financial constraints meant the ambition remained unfulfilled for years.
In 2023, Mutua decided to revive his childhood dream. He enrolled at Ninety Nine’s Flying School at Wilson Airport and embarked on an intensive training programme that involved studying late into the night and spending weekends and evenings flying.
Six months after beginning his training, he completed his first solo flight in Malindi. A few months later, seven months after starting his classes, he passed his examinations and obtained a Private Pilot Licence.
Mutua said he has since continued building his flying hours through training with 99s Flying School and Kenya Aeronautical College. He has flown and trained on several aircraft in Kenya and South Africa.
According to the CS, he now has more than 300 flying hours and regularly takes to the skies, often flying to different destinations on weekends.
Mutua said he decided to document his flying adventures to encourage young people to pursue their aspirations despite challenges.
“I want to share them with all, and especially you, so that every dreaming boy or girl is encouraged - to know that with God, determination and planning, everything is possible,” he said.
He credited his family, friends and children for supporting him in turning the decades-old dream into reality.