Living as two: Twins share stories of love, loss and mistaken identity

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The World Twins Day was celebrated in colourful fashion in Eldoret as tens of twins gathered to celebrate and share life experiences alongside some of their parents.

The twins converged in Uasin Gishu County, before heading to Moi's Bridge for special celebrations hosted by a twin family, Belinda and Liz Tirop.

Phillip Yego, chairperson of the Twinslink Foundation, said they had come together as twins from all parts of the country to thank God and share their life experiences.

“We are a unique society of people born together, looking alike in many ways, and we often have many experiences, both good and bad, that always keep us together,” said Yego.

He said they were grateful to parents who raise twins while ensuring they deal with the challenges that come with it. The group has more than 200 twins.

“For our parents, having twins is a double blessing, but it comes with many challenges and blessings that they have to deal with every day,” said Yego.

Lawyer Veronica Chebet, who is the group's secretary, said being twins was a godly occurrence that comes with double blessings in everything.

“As twins, we are a unique community. We always carry each other's burdens and blessings. Sometimes one is punished for the mistakes of the other, but we thank God for everything,” said Chebet.

Yego is among those who lost his job at a university after being mistaken for his brother. They were later both employed by the Uasin Gishu County government.

Chebet said they want society to fully embrace them as a special group with unique needs most of the time.

“We should always be accepted in all spaces where we appear together. Sometimes separating us causes challenges, but we also learn to cope,” she said.

Chebet said identical twins often confuse many people, including their parents.

“Even in matters of love, we have experiences where we are mistaken for each other, but those are the special attributes given to us by God, and we learn to live with them forever as twins,” said Chebet.

Chebet said society should, however, be keen to always identify twins before acting in any way.

She explained that there were twins who ended up marrying fellow twins as part of ensuring they continued sharing their lives.

“As twins, we also have higher chances of having twins because ours is always a life of double blessings,” she said.

Babyline Chemutai, a parent of twins, said she was proud to have them and was even ready to have another pair because she considers them a blessing despite the challenges of raising them.

“Mine are identical twins, and it is challenging to bring them up because they always have similar needs at home and in school, and they often fall sick together,” she said.

She said she often relied on birthmarks to identify her twins, Brilliant and Brina, at home because they are so identical.

Paul Rugut, who lost his twin brother in 2021 due to kidney failure, said it had been difficult to live without him, but he always found encouragement from the group, where he remains a member.