First Kenyan to go Public About His HIV Positive Status Dies

The first Kenyan to go public that he is HIV positive has died.

Dr Joe Muriuki died after living with HIV/ AIDS for over 30 years.

The National Empowerment Network of People living with HIV/AIDS in Kenya (NEPHAK) has confirmed the news.

NEPHAK is a national network that unites people living with HIV and those affected by TB and HIV/AIDS through post-test clubs, support groups, community-based organizations, non-governmental organizations and networks.

In an interview with a local daily three years ago, Muriuki said a healthy diet and keeping fit have been the greatest pillars in his journey.

“Eating a healthy diet, keeping active, a positive attitude, and being sexually responsible, has helped maintain a stable CD4 count of over 400 throughout the 31 years. My viral load has never been detectable,” he said.

Muriuki went public with his HIV status in 1987 and has since lived with the virus for close to 35 years now.

For close to 35 years that he lived with HIV, Muriuki resisted ARVs for about 27 years for fearing side effects.

He, however, opted for it later on after accessing information that assured him of his health.

"Thanks to having access to information, I was careful not to start taking ARVs when they were in the experimental stages and had plenty of side effects. I always strived to maintain my CD4 level at above 500. When it dropped to 470 and I started experiencing symptoms of illness, I decided it was time to go for ARVs," he told the publication.