Girl rides bicycle through Murang’a, Kiambu and Nairobi counties toraise mother’s morgue bill

nation.co.ke

Esther Wairimu,19, a househelp in Thika Town did not celebrate Christmas as she is struggling to raise funds for her mother’s funeral.

Her mother, Nancy Njeri, died on November 28, four months after she was allegedly hit with a wooden plank by a neighbour during an altercation over a footpath.

The woman’s body is being detained at Kenyatta National Hospital mortuary over a Sh1.1m bill.

Although she is the family’s sole breadwinner, Ms Wairimu has already left her job and embarked on mission to ride a bicycle through Murang’a, Kiambu and Nairobi Counties to raise money for the bill.

The Class Seven dropout and last born in a family of three is yet to come to terms with her mother’s death.

She says her mother was hit by the neighbour at Kianjege Village in Kandara, Murang’a County on July 27.

Esther Wairimu in Thika. She is riding a bicycle through Murang’a, Kiambu and Nairobi counties to raise money to clear her mother’s mortuary bill. The body is at the KNH mortuary. PHOTO | CORRESPONDENT

The suspect who had been arrested and released was re-arrested last week after Mrs Njeri’s death and is being held at Kabati Police Station awaiting to be charged with murder.

Mrs Catherine Wangui, a daughter in-law of Mrs Njeri says the woman neighbour called Mrs Njeri a dog when asked why she was passing through their compound.

“She then hurled stones at her before she picked a piece of wood and struck her on the head,” Mrs Wangui says.

Ms Njeri was rushed to Thika Level 5 Hospital where doctors said she had a blood clot in the brain.

She was later referred to KNH where she underwent an operation but succumbed to the injury after four months in a coma.

Ms Wairimu’s father Kuria Macharia, a peasant, said the family could not afford the huge hospital bill and appealed for support from the government and well-wishers.