Vincent Kumura was never supposed to come back. After years of study in the United States, with degrees in business and finance, he had every reason to stay overseas and chase success. But one heartbreaking moment changed everything.
While visiting home in 2010, he watched a pregnant woman collapse just a few steps away from the Brahman Health Centre. She had walked 14 kilometers through rough mountain paths to get help, but she didn’t make it. Vincent couldn’t forget her. That moment became the reason he packed his bags, left comfort behind, and returned to the remote mountains of Bundi for good.
He started small. He formed the Kumura Foundation in 2013. With little money, but a lot of heart, he helped build tracks, donate books, and bring health workers into isolated areas. In 2015, he built the first-ever health clinic in Snow Pass. People from faraway villages came to seek treatment. He didn’t just organize the help; he carried boxes, walked the muddy paths, and stood beside the sick.
One of his proudest projects is Bundi’s first ambulance, made possible through a partnership with the Sir Brian Bell Foundation. He also helped train 10 local health workers. These things may sound simple, but in a place where people walk for days just to see a nurse, they are life-changing.
Vincent also believes in celebrating culture and finding strength in local traditions. He started the Bundi Komba Cultural Festival and built an eco-lodge at Snow Pass. It brought tourists, created jobs, and gave the community a reason to smile. He sees tourism not as a business, but as a way to lift people out of poverty.
But life in Bundi is tough. Landslides destroy roads. The terrain is steep and dangerous. Sometimes the only way to clear a road is with spades and bare hands. Vincent has done that too. Once, during a landslide, his ambulance was stuck while trying to save a mother in labor. With no machines or government help, he and a team of young volunteers cleared the path themselves.
Funding is always short. Most of the time, he uses his own savings or small donations. He’s had to explain delays to communities, face criticism, and push through moments of doubt. But he never gave up.
Now, in 2025, Vincent is stepping into politics. He’s contesting the Usino Bundi by-election. Not because he wants power, but because he knows what his people need. He’s lived their struggles. He’s walked their roads. He’s seen too many lives lost for no reason. He wants to fix roads, support schools, build aid posts, and open more doors for his people.
Vincent is not your usual politician. He doesn’t make loud promises. He listens. He works. He shows up. Whether he wins or not, he has already given so much. And the people of Bundi know this mountain man, with his quiet strength and stubborn heart, will never stop fighting for them.