Widow Lucy Nyambura says she lost everything after her husband’s mysterious death

Lucy Nyambura who after the untimely death of

her husband found herself homeless when her

in-laws kicked her out of her own house.

Monday, March 24th 2014 at 22:40 GMT 

 

By ERIC WAINAINA KIAMBU, KENYA: The death of a spouse is often painful. But when your husband’s body is released to the very people suspected to have had a hand in his mysterious death, and then you find your house locked - in fact, welded - then you begin on a long, dark road to try and wrap your brain around what is taking place. That is what happened to 23-year-old Lucy Nyambura when her husband, Gabriel Ngan’ga, 30, died in controversial circumstances. Even before she could absorb the shock and settle down to mourn her beloved, Nyambura found herself homeless. Her home in Ikinu, Githunguri, was locked with three padlocks and the metal door welded. Ng’ang’a died on March 16, and initial reports indicated that he had committed suicide by hanging himself on a tree. At the time, Nyambura was visiting her parents in Molo, Nakuru. When Nyambura, who is six months pregnant, came home after receiving the distressing news, she spent the night at her sister’s house, because she could not access the locked house. She was told the area assistant chief had locked it.

On that Sunday (March 16), she recorded a statement at Githunguri police station expressing her suspicions about the alleged suicide her husband’s body had injuries and blood not consistent with hanging. Ng’ang’a’s jacket was found near a milking shed and there were some bloodstains near the shed. Milk had also spilled. Nyambura and some neighbours believe Ng’ang’a was attacked while he was milking and the attackers took the body to the tree where it was tied with a rope to make it look like suicide. When Nyambura went to the area chief, Wanithi Kibe, a meeting was held involving the widow’s family and village elders. FUNERAL PERMIT “The chief asked me whether there was anything in my house to prove that I was indeed married to Ng’ang’a. We went and she photographed me holding my clothes,” she said. The chief told the meeting that no one had the right to kick the widow out of the home, a statement that gave Nyambura some hope.

Ms Wanithi also issued a permit to authorise the funeral to proceed although the permit was not issued to the widow. However, Nyambura encould not get the keys, apparently becuase the chief did not have the authority to have them released to her. “The OCS also told me that he did not have the power and it dawned on me that someone was using the authority to kick me out of my home,” said the distressed woman. Even as she followed up the matter, her cow was stolen and she recorded the matter at Githunguri — occurrence book No 27/18/3/2014. Not one to give up easily, Nyambura sought the assistance of County Commissioner Esther Maina who authorised the release of the keys. Last Wednesday, March 19, Nyambura went to the OCPD’s office who together with the officer in charge of criminal investigation accompanied her to get the keys from the sub-chief. “The door had three padlocks. We unlocked two and so I did not access the house because we did not have the third key,” she said. The following morning, she went back to her house hoping to break the third padlock and take some time to mourn her husband. “When I returned it was worse, some of them sent me away while pushing and screaming at me and calling me names. One of them had a knife and was ready to attack me and I had no choice but to leave,” she narrated. The latest report indicates that Monday, unknown people broke into the house and stole everything. The family says Ng’ang’a was a bachelor and had not sired any child by the time of his death. A relative, Peter Kamau, said they are not sure that Nyambura was married to the deceased because they only saw her after his death. “She had not been part of our family. To us she was just a lover and not a wife,” he claimed. DNA TEST

Ng’an’ga was buried last Friday amid heavy security, shortly after a post-mortem was done and samples extracted from his body for a DNA test to be conducted to verify whether the unborn child Nyambura is carrying is his. There was no eulogy and all Nyambura could do was throw soil into Ng’ang’a’s grave. Wanithi told mourners that Nyambura was part of the family and only the court can say otherwise. “Even come-we stay marriages are recognised by the law. If there is a dispute over the pregnancy, a DNA will be done,” she said. But even as the family denounced her, neighbours said they have known Nyambura as the wife of the late Ng’ang’a and had lived together for about one year. Thomas Mureithi, the area Administration Police boss said Nyambura and Ng’ang’a were a couple. “At one point the deceased was arrested over an assault case which is on-going in court and Nyambura was the one following up on the matter,” said Mureithi. The deceased’s father had two wives and Ng’ang’a is a foster son to the first wife. The other wife has one son and two daughters. “Ng’ang’a had a five-acre farm, three acres of which he inherited from his foster father. His mother bought him the two other acres. I think the step family wants to send Nyambura away so that they can take the property,” the neighbour said. The other family owns a three-acre farm and a timber house. The area Assistant County Commander Geoffrey Omoding is also convinced that Nyambura’s rejection by Ng’ang’a’s kin has something to do with succession. However Githunguri police boss Wilkister Vera, said they are treating Ng’ang’a’s death as suicide. But Omoding smells a rat.