Kenya ‘Birdman’ is internet hit but worries health officials

NAIROBI – A formerly homeless man in Nairobi has become a viral sensation after years of rescuing and living with injured birds, but authorities are worried about disease risks.

Rodgers Oloo Magutha found purpose and an escape from the depression of living on the streets by caring for his avian friends.

By 2024, he was living in central Nairobi when massive protests erupted all around him, and images of Magutha walking calmly through the unrest with a kite on his head made him an internet sensation.

He now has a one-room home on the outskirts of the city, as well as tens of thousands of followers on TikTok and Instagram who watch him living alongside kites, crows, storks and many other birds.