Eric Ambuche: Nairobi’s unsung hero

Eric Ambuche was born on 10/10/1974 to Jotham Ambuche and Winfred Ambuche.

He went to school at Emusunguri primary where he completed his primary education in 1990 and joined Ingotse secondary school where he completed in 1994.

He moved to Nairobi's Kibera -Lindi area in 1995 in order to continue with his education as he pursued short courses at KCCT Mbagathi but unfortunately had to drop out due to financial difficulties.He was forced to do manual jobs in order to survive.

In 1996 he moved back home for a while before relocating back to Nairobi to Hazina estate in South B where he lived with his cousin.He joined Group 4 security as a security guard because he had to support himself and was unable to continue with his education at the time.

In 1998 he moved to Njenga after he had visited his cousin earlier and liked the place and also because the house that he was living in Hazina was being morgaged.It is where he could afford to live at the time.

According to Ambuche living in Njenga wasn't easy because it wasn't like the estate he was used to getting basic amenities was a problem.In 1999 he was part of the people who conducted the census thats when he came face to face with reality.He noticed that people in these households were living hand to mouth.He then grew a passion to enlighten and empower these people.

He got involved in initiatives by SMEs like Faulu that exposed him to a new way of thinking and doing things.He joined self help groups and opened a barbership where he formed and headed The Embakasi Barbers Association.

The association recruited young men and women to show them tactics to cut hair and shave.Through the self help groups they could access personal loans from SMEs too.He left the association to the youth so that they could continue empowering themselves as he became older.

In 2013 he partnered with like minded individuals in community matters and founded a CBO named slums outreach program which comprised of few individuals who had knowledge in various fields such as GBV,local administration,advocacy,legal and health matters.

He realized that politics and development went hand in hand and most politicians were using slums as hunting grounds for political mileage.Slums outreach programme has been acreddited and is a national stakeholder and partner of IEBC Kenya.

The objective of the CBO is educating the public on civic/ voter education to help them make better decisions.Empowering the youths to be involved in the electrol process in a peaceful manner is important because the youth compromise of 60 percent of the voting population.

The CBO has also been involved with state and non state agencies such as IEBC,NEMA,Ministry of special programmes,National Transport And Safety Authority (NTSA),Communications Authority Of Kenya(CAK),National Construction Authority(NCA),Kenya Economic Youth Network and Slum Child Foundation.

Eric Ambuche participates in the local leadership of Embakasi South and in matters concerning good governance and service delivery at the local level.

He is also a community leader who fights for the welfare of the less privileged especially during this pandemic.

He has gone out of his way to make masks and get sanitizers for vulrenable families but currently needs funds and facilitation to help the vulrenable people in Mukuru Kwa Njenga.He has identified 200 families that are the most vulrenable and in dire need of assistance in this pandemic period.

Mr Ambuche is one of the unrecognized heroes who needs to be recognized and awarded by the president and society at large for the families that he is helping.He is mostly in need of masks,sanitizers,soap and sanitary pads for the 200 families that are under his CBO.

He has shared and helped implement Initiatives by IEBC,NTSA and NCA that have helped millions of Kenyans.

If you would like to support or give a donation to Eric's CBO you can by donating to Till Number 272773 or reach Eric directly on 0722 143364