Back at Kanyakine High School in Meru, Dr Bundi Karau, yearned to become a medical doctor, believing helping the sick would grant him fulfilment.
He would hear stories about medical doctors and read newspaper articles about their work, which fascinated him and cultivated an unwavering interest in the field.
That dream began to materialise when he emerged as the top candidate in the country in the 2002 KCSE, propelling him to pursue medicine at the University of Nairobi.
Today, this consultant physician sees patients with complex medical conditions and teaches at the Kenya Methodist University (KEMU) School of Medicine.
"I like calling myself an escort because the work of a physician is to escort and guide patients through life's journey."
A typical day consists of a ward round at the Meru Teaching and Referral Hospital, clinic interaction with patients at Oregon Health Services –his private practice– and lectures at KEMU on human anatomy and internal medicine.
“I like calling myself an escort because the work of a physician is to escort and guide patients through life’s journey,” he says.
His passion for mentoring the youth sets him apart from others in the field. He says imparting knowledge to the younger generation gives him a sense of purpose.
His academic accolades include Bachelor of Science in Human Anatomy, Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery, Master of Medicine in Internal Medicine and PhD in Neurosciences (Human Anatomy) –all from the University of Nairobi.
“I’m among the few medical doctors with a PhD in the country.”
Aside from offering mentorship to the students at KEMU and those in high schools across the country, he pursues community excellence through leadership and drafting bills.
In 2018, as founding chairman of Meru Youth Service (MYS), he led the team to author a Bill that converted the programme into a county government parastatal currently tasked with empowering the youth with employable skills.
When not seeing patients or being a mentor, he is journaling about his travel on social media and blogs, hoping that someone gets motivated.
“I recently drove from South Africa to Kenya, through Botswana, Zambia and Tanzania,” he says, divulging it is part of his journey to becoming a writer.
In addition to his medical degrees, he holds an Advanced Creative Writing certificate from the Writers Bureau, University of Manchester, UK.
Lynet Igadwah