Mary Atieno’s parents first noticed that something was amiss with her sight when she was five months old. A visit to the doctor confirmed that she had been born with total visual impairment. They needed a second opinion, and for this they set out from Kirengo Village in Migori to the King George Hospital (now Kenyatta National Hospital). The consultation only confirmed this diagnosis. This was back in 1961, and while this news was a great blow to these first-time parents, they made the decision to empower their daughter as best as they could.
Mary attained school-going age at a time when many still questioned the importance of educating girls, and in her case, a blind girl. But her father, who was a headteacher, understood the value of education and refused to cave into societal pressure. Mary was enrolled into Asumbi Mission School before being transferred to St. Oda Aluor School for the Visually Impaired.
Afterwards, she was enrolled into Thika Salvation Army High School for the Visually Impaired. Mary joined the school choir as well as the Jericho International Choir for Christ. With the latter, she got to perform on stage with Kenyan gospel musician Reuben Kigame, who also has total visual impairment. Singing next to someone who had a similar setback as she, affirmed to Mary that her circumstances did not define her. Having envisioned what she could accomplish, she became more determined to become achieve her goal.
In 1983, while in her sixth form, Mary released her first album titled Hakuna Mungu Mwingine with the choir. Around that same time, she also received an invitation to sing in a state function graced by then President Daniel Arap Moi. To commemorate this occasion, Mary wrote the song Kenya Twaipenda and sang it along with her school choir during the function. The song became an instant hit that got unprecedented airplay on the Voice of Kenya radio station, elevating her album’s fame and subsequent popularity.
Two years later, Mary joined Kenyatta University to pursue a bachelor’s degree in education. Kenyatta University boasts of a large school campus, but this aspect of size worked against Mary in many ways. Navigating the grounds on her own was difficult, and braille books were not as accessible as they had been in the lower levels of education. Worst of all, she did not know who to turn to when she needed assistance. During this tumultuous transition period, Mary turned to music for some grounding and familiarity. She joined the school choir and began singing and composing songs for the group.
After graduating from university in 1988, Mary was posted to Buru Buru Girls’ High School. The change in environment made her apprehensive in the beginning, but she found a great support system among the members of this school – from teachers to students and school administrators. She has taught here for over 30 years, but her dedication to making music has never ceased. With over 10 studio albums to her name, Mary has travelled to many countries and performed on countless stages.
In 2012, Mary was honoured with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the annual Groove Awards. This was a fitting tribute to the life that she has lived and continues to live, and the example she has set by embodying the message that disability is not inability.
Curious to listen to the songs from Mary’s first album? Find them uploaded onto her YouTube channel, follow the link below to listen to the compilation.