From mother of two to childless in 75 days — the sad story of Mary Wanjiku

Seated forlornly outside her mother's house in Kariti village, Murang'a County, Mary Wanjiku 35, says she has reached her end but trusts that God shall comfort her.

Losing her only two children in the past three months, she believes her motherhood is jinxed.

After losing her four-month-old daughter to sudden illness on October 31, 2024, she was to be thrown into a fresh round mourning when her son was smashed to death by a school gate that collapsed on him on January 14, 2025.

"My daughter, Joyce Muthoni suddenly developed breathing problems and within an hour, she was dead. I sought comfort from my Christian faith that even if I had lost her, at least I had a 15-year-old son...at least I was not childless," she says.

But her hopes were crushed when death came knocking, again. 

According to Murang'a South Deputy County Commissioner Gitonga Murungi, the school wall collapsed on her son as he was heading home from school. 

"The boy, identified as Francis Gichuhi, was in the company of other learners and had slightly gone ahead of the rest after breaking for home.  Unfortunately, part of the gate's wall collapsed on him, killing him instantly," Mr Murungi said. 

Ms Wanjiku says she was looking forward to raising her two children as a single mother after her only relationship collapsed 13 years ago.

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"I had struggled a lot to raise my son who had just joined Grade Nine this January. He had grown up to be an obedient, hardworking and respectful boy who perfectly understood my poverty," she narrates.

She says the boy gave her immense hope in life when he got circumcised last December "and when he healed he proudly told me: Mum, I am now a man to protect you in life".

Ms Wanjiku says that "this son would occasionally tell me that he would acquire all the education that I missed as his mother and acquire all the riches that I and my whole lineage missed".

The heartbroken mother that her late son would even spare money given to him by his uncles and aunts to contribute to the family budget "since I am a casual labourer who never went past primary school".

"I am looking at the words in Luke 22:42 of the New King James Version Bible where I have memorised the words therein: Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done," she tells Nation.Africa in a voice closest a whimper.

She says she suspects that her womb has been cursed.

"I am looking at my life...how I have laboured to bring up my son. He was a bright child whose focus was to end up becoming an engineer and haul me up from my poverty," she says.

As her optimism rose about her son, she says she decided to get him a sibling.

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"My son would keep on reminding me that he needed a brother or a sister... he would comfort me that all my struggles were for a season, that he was soon going to become successful in life and deal raw vengeance on my poverty," she said.

“Though young, my son was speaking emphatically to me, making my future look so promising through him, and I confess that I deliberately ventured out to get him a brother or a sister to show him I shared his confidence in life."

She says that "even when his sister died on October 31, 2024, he told me not to worry, that all was not lost, that at least we had each other to face life with."

Then as she was in Thika town walking home after a day's hustle, she received a phone call that wanted her to rush back home in Maragua Constituency.

"My son was staying with my mother's sister...as a hustler in Thika town, she had volunteered to be his guardian...Her 5.30pm call to me was brief: Rush back home, your son got an accident," she said.

She arrived home at 9pm.

"The environment around home was all gloom. Neighbours were conversing in hushed tones. Some broke into tears when they saw me arrive. Some wailed. Men and women crying made me suddenly get informed that all was not well," she says.

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She did not even wait to be given the full information about what awaited her.

"My Gikomora village assistant chief Joel Gachuhi was there too and was also in tears...I approached him and requested him: Help me view the body," she says.

Mr Gachuhi says he contacted Maragua Assistant County Commissioner Joshua Okello to help in facilitating the journey to Murang'a Level Five Hospital mortuary, which is about 25 kilometres from her home.

"I provided the vehicle that took Ms Wanjiku to the mortuary...we accompanied her...It is among my worst scenes in this career so far," Mr Okello said.

Ms Wanjiku says she found her son already naked and preserved in the freezers.

"His eyes were partially closed...it was like he really wanted to say goodbye to me. He had a line of blood dripping from the left side of his mouth. He had injuries on his head and ribs...He was crushed to death," she says.

Ms Wanjiku says she closed the eyes of her dead son, uttered a short prayer and requested the administrators to take her back home.

"The hollowness in my heart did not even help me get tears...I was just a numb soul that had hopelessly accepted the turn of events. A mother of two in the past three months now childless in the same period. It was at around 3am while seated alone under a mango tree in our compound when tears found me..." She says.

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She says her tears won't stop rolling down her eyes for a long period to come.

"As I prepare to bury my son, just like the way I buried my daughter in November last year, my only prayer to God is to spare any woman the pain I am going through. It is a pain I cannot wish on any woman, including my worst enemy," she says.

She says she will invest her faith in prayers.

"God, what have I done to you to lose two babies in three months leaving me childless at 35? I'm sorry God, spare me this pain...Define my present and future. Reveal yourself to me God," she prays.

Already, Mr Murungi, Mr Okello, Mr Gachuhi, Murang'a Governor Mr Irungu Kang'ata, Maragua MP Mary wa Maua and Senator Joe Nyutu have committed themselves to help Ms Wanjiku raise the burial budget.

Further, Murang'a County Youth, Sports and Culture Chief Executive Manoah Gachucha has promised to help Ms Wanjiku get counselling services as well as get a livelihood.

"We know it is hard to console her since she needs healing and closure. It is not easy. But at all corners of her immediate anguish, the county government will be with her, offering her the necessary interventions to retain her peace of mind," Mr Gachucha said.

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