Editor's Review
At nine years old, the sight of an aircraft sparked a dream that would stay with him for decades, he wanted to fly one himself.
Long before he became a Cabinet Secretary, Alfred Mutua was a young boy in Riruta Satellite with his eyes fixed on the Nairobi skies.
Growing up in a wooden shack with his parents and siblings, Mutua said he would sit outside their home and watch planes flying overhead.
At nine years old, the sight of aircraft sparked a dream that would stay with him for decades; he wanted to fly one himself.
“Something stirred inside my nine-year-old skinny frame, and I wanted to fly one day - not as a passenger but as a pilot,” he posted on X.
A few months later, his class at Toi Primary School visited Wilson Airport, giving the young Mutua his first opportunity to see an aircraft up close.
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“We were shown around and inside planes. I was mesmerized by the engines and the cockpit,” he recalled.
His interest in aviation continued to grow, fuelled in part by his love for books. Mutua said that every Saturday, he would take Kenya Bus number 4 from Riruta Satellite to Community, where he would visit the Kenya National Library to read and borrow books.
During one of those visits, he came across a picture book by author Dale Carnegie that explored the history of flight, from the Wright brothers to modern aircraft.
The dream remained with him even after he moved to the United States on a scholarship to pursue a career in communication.
While there, he secured a job at Spokane Airport in Washington, keeping him close to aircraft and pilots.
But becoming a pilot remained a distant ambition as other responsibilities took priority.
“Many years later, life happened: family, children, career, no time, not enough money,” he said.
In 2023, Mutua decided it was finally time to pursue the dream he had carried since childhood.
He enrolled at 99s Flying School at Wilson Airport, where he embarked on an intensive training programme. He studied at night and spent his evenings and weekends flying.
Six months after beginning his training, Mutua undertook his first solo flight in Malindi. A month later, he was tested, passed and obtained his Private Pilot Licence.
“Seven months from the time I started my classes, I was tested, passed and received my Private Pilot License. My dream as a young, poor boy had become a reality,” Mutua posted.
But obtaining his licence was not the end of his aviation journey. He continued building his flying hours with 99s Flying School and Kenya Aeronautical College, training and flying several aircraft in Kenya and South Africa.
Mutua says he has now accumulated more than 300 flying hours and flies whenever his schedule allows, often spending his weekends in the skies.
He has also been documenting some of his flying experiences and plans to share them with the public.
For Mutua, however, the journey is about more than showcasing his passion for aviation. He hopes his story will inspire young people to hold on to their dreams and pursue them, regardless of where they begin.
