In 2013, Dan Matakaya was a 21-year-old police officer in Kenya when a woman walked into the station where he worked. He was mesmerized by her beauty and told her so. The two began dating and were married a few years later.
Couple’s Son Dies
It was great the first few years of marriage. Even though Matakaya had to be away from home a lot for work with the police, the couple rarely fought. When their first son died soon after birth, things quickly got worse in their relationship.
Matakaya’s Wife Visits
Matakaya’s wife came to see him in Kisii on September 21, 2013, while he was stationed there. They had a disagreement about how to properly get rid of their son’s dead clothes. It didn’t bother Matakaya, who thought everything was okay between them. He closed his eyes, climbed into bed with his wife, and fell asleep when he got home from work.
Matakaya’s Face is Burned
Matakaya woke up because his face felt like it was on fire. He touched his face and started looking for water right away because the pain was too much to bear. Matakaya felt even more pain as soon as he hit the floor. That Matakaya screamed was so loud that people from the neighbourhood came to help.
Sour acid had been poured all over Matakaya by his wife. Then she poured water on the floor and places where power was connected. When her husband stood up, he was shocked by the electricity.
The Road to Recovery
Matakaya was taken to the hospital and then flown to Kenyatta National Hospital in Nairobi to get more specialised care. 18% of his body was burned in the third degree. Matakaya lost his sight and could not breathe because of the acid. He would need 15 surgeries to keep him stable until he was freed in February 2014.
Once again, Matakaya was taken to the hospital and had five more surgeries.
He said that he thought about ki*lling himself during this time and that even doctors had given up hope after an unsuccessful surgery to open his nose again. He got the courage to become a survivor of domestic violence after talking to other patients in the hospital’s burn centre. He was determined to get out of harm’s way. He discovered that he still had a lot to give the world.
The Dan Shieshie Foundation
Since the at*tack, Matakaya’s life has changed a lot. He had a hard time with his self-image, lost friends who thought he needed them, and lost a woman he loved. But he has used what he went through to help other men.
The Dan Shieshie Foundation was started by Matakaya in 2016 to help men who are in abusive or unstable marriages.
Dan said he felt sorry for his “Dear wife” for the at*tack, but he was still going to press charges against her. The case has been going on for years, and as of 2019, it still hasn’t gone to trial.
