Eric Omondi breaks ground on Sisi kwa Sisi Help and rescue centre after 486km charity walk

Eric Omondi monitering a lorry pouring balast during the ground breaking ceremony.

Comedian Eric Omondi on Sunday officiated the groundbreaking of the long-anticipated Sisi Kwa Sisi Help and Rescue Centre, fulfilling a major promise of his 486-kilometre charity walk from Nairobi to Mombasa.

The landmark ceremony marked a critical milestone in a grassroots initiative aimed at providing direct support to vulnerable Kenyans nationwide.

Omondi explained that the movement’s core project will house a rescue house, warehouse, medical clinic, and two ambulances, with longer-term plans for a free secondary school on adjacent land once additional funding is secured.

Videos from the event showed heavy trucks delivering sand, cement, ballast, and other materials, while tractors and excavators prepared groundwork for the foundation.

Omondi emphasised that Sunday’s ceremony was not just symbolic as it signalled the transformation of a dream into reality.

“Team Sisi kwa Sisi, what was once a dream is becoming a reality. We’ll have a rescue house, office space, a warehouse, ambulances, and a clinic. Then, with more support, we will build the secondary school,” he said.

Though photos and videos from Omondi’s social media show the construction site buzzing with activity, neither he nor his team has publicly disclosed the exact geographic location of the rescue centre at this stage, a detail Kenyans have been asking about since the project was announced.

Mombasa Governor, Abdulswamad Nassir and Eric Omondi pose for a photo after he finished the 486 km charity walk./HANDOUT

The project's launch followed the completion of Omondi’s grueling “Walk of Love”, a four-day, 486-kilometre fundraising trek from Nairobi to Mombasa that captured national attention.

The challenge drew significant public participation from celebrities and ordinary Kenyans to local leaders who walked segments of the route alongside him and donated to the cause.

Omondi used an innovative model where donors could symbolically “buy kilometres” toward the walk, translating contributions into funded segments of the trek, a tactic that helped catalyse support across social and online networks.

Despite critics questioning logistical aspects of the walk itself, many Kenyans rallied behind the mission, hailing it as a bold expression of community solidarity in tackling socio-economic challenges that often go unaddressed by existing systems.

On the ground at the groundbreaking, Omondi reiterated his call for continued public support, especially through the NGO’s paybill number, underscoring that the rescue centre’s success will depend on sustained contributions from well-wishers committed to uplifting Kenya’s most marginalised.