Political activist Okiya Omtatah grew up wanting to be a Catholic priest.
However, his career path changed along the way.
In an exclusive interview with the Star, Omtatah reveals that epilepsy which got him along his career path denied him chance to become a priest.
Having been born in a family of staunch Catholics, Omtatah reveals he had made up his mind he would spend his life as a preacher in a remote rural outpost with his bible, rosary and cassock.
According to the activist, epilepsy got him while he was in senior seminary.
“I developed grand mal, epilepsy. I was told you couldn’t become a priest with epilepsy because what happens if you got an attack during the Eucharist? And it made sense,” he says.
He reveals he was then admitted at Aga Khan hospital where he started receiving treatment.
However, Omtatah notes that the medical treatment he received at the facility did not improve his condition.
At the height of his illness, he would suffer three to four fits a day.
The young man was a primary school teacher newly posted to Omtatah’s home area. He said he had learned traditional medicine from his grandfather.
He then proceeded to Kenya Polytechnic to study mechanical engineering, hoping to get a job making the Nyayo Pioneer cars launched with much fanfare by the government of then-President Daniel arap Moi.
But upon graduation, Omtatah moved on to other things.
He never worked as an engineer but went into private business and writing.
He is now deep into political activism.
Watch his full interview with the Star below: