By Staff Reporter
Comedian Baba Kaunty, whose real name is Protus Wangamati, has shared an emotional account of how an Italian Catholic sister working in Kenya transformed his life, rescuing him from the streets of Nairobi and setting him on a path to education and purpose.
In a heartfelt social media post, the comedian paid tribute to Sister Emidia, a nun who had lived and worked in Kenya for nearly three decades. He revealed that he named his daughter after her, underscoring the depth of her influence on his life.
According to Baba Kaunty, Sister Emidia encountered him by chance in Kibera while looking for vulnerable children she could support. At the time, he had spent three years living on the streets and survived by selling scrap metal with a group of friends. That meeting marked a turning point.
“She found me when I had already spent three years as a street boy. That same day, I was a street child, and that same day, I entered school,” he wrote.
From that moment, he says, Sister Emidia took personal responsibility for his upbringing and education, supporting him through primary and secondary school. Her guidance, discipline and belief in him, he noted, played a central role in shaping his character and future.
“She supported me all the way until I completed Form Four and stood by me firmly until I was able to start supporting myself,” he said.
The tribute also recounts the loss that followed. During the Covid-19 pandemic, Sister Emidia contracted the virus and was transferred to Italy for treatment, where she later died. Baba Kaunty described her death as one of the most painful experiences of his life, alongside the loss of his parents.
He said her teachings continue to guide his choices and values, adding that her compassion and sacrifice are the reason his story exists at all.