Kenya ‘Birdman’ is internet hit but worries health officials

A formerly homeless man in Kenya's capital, Rodgers Oloo Magutha, aka 'Nairobi Birdman', has gained a large social media following after years of rescuing and living with injured birds. (Collins Olunga/AFP)

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.

They wander freely around his home, and flock around him as he walks through the streets where he earns a modest living from collecting scrap and recycling.

“I love rescuing birds,” he told AFP, describing himself as an “urban bird enthusiast”.

They love him in return. He has rescued more than 20, including a marabou stork, cattle egret, African sacred ibis, and a barn owl, who have all become companions over the years.

Lately, however, his passion has drawn criticism.

Nairobi city officials called on him to release his current companions after a video of him eating with them from the same plate raised fears of a health hazard.

Magutha dismissed the concerns.

“I’ve been living on the streets where we’ve been eating together, we’ve been sleeping together in the cold, but nothing ever happened to me,” he told AFP.

He also insisted that the birds are free to leave whenever they are ready.

“The mission started for me to rescue them, to give them a safe space where they can stay without any disturbance, where they can feel free,” he said.

“When they are ready to be released, I release them.”

But health officials are concerned, with the Kenya Medical Research Institute warning that prolonged contact with wild animals is restricted due to the disease risk.

Magutha said he should instead be appreciated for his public service.

“I spread my awareness of conservation through entertainment,” he said.

“I am one of a kind in this country... We can show people that everything is possible... that humans can coexist with nature,” he added.