"I cannot talk to you...he's here. Tomorrow he’s going to give me back my money and I will return his house documents," that's the last text message Swaita Ibrahim received from her eldest sister before she was allegedly stabbed to death by her husband eight hours later.
Nuru Ibrahim, persevered through domestic violence in her 12 years in marriage with Murad Awadh Bates but her world came tumbling down on the eve of father’s day when the husband allegedly killed her using two kitchen knives which have since been confiscated by police as crucial exhibits.
The 29-year-old mother of six cried for help but the neighbors alerted the police when it was too late.
The suspect had already stabbed her several times bleeding profusely, leaving her for dead.
Police were forced to break into their Kanamai home at around 4am after they found door locked from inside. They found the naked body on the floor. The suspect was arrested and is currently being held at the Mtwapa police station.
“My brother-in-law who is a driver had arrived from Sudan on Saturday. When I called my sister she texted me saying she couldn’t talk to me because the husband was around only to later get shocking news, she is dead. My sister died a painful and cruel death, that man didn’t even remember she’s the mother of his children,” said Ms Ibrahim.
Speaking to the press outside the Coast General Teaching and Referral Hospital mortuary, Ms Ibrahim said her sister had asked for divorce due to their marital woes after persevering for years.
Ms Ibrahim said members of the family had severally tried to intervene in the matter begging the man to grant her the divorce but he refused.
She said her sister had been given two divorces and was awaiting the final divorce papers to quit the marriage for good according to Islamic culture.
“In our religion, we enter into marriage peacefully and divorce peacefully, but he refused to grant her the wish. My sister told me the husband had told her that she will not allow her to quit the marriage and he will be cruel to her. At one time he told her if she wanted the divorce she should pay him, she was willing to do it because she wanted peace, she was tired,” she added.
The deceased brother, Mr Seif Mohammed urged spouses going through marital challenges to seek counseling or divorce instead of engaging in domestic violence.
“If you don’t want your wife just divorce her. We urge the judiciary to deal with this matter, we want justice,” he said.
Another relative, Ms Salma Ahmed who had intervened in their quarrels on Saturday night said Mr Bates was suspecting his wife was cheating.
“He did not trust the wife, but he didn’t have proof. I told him he should let her go before he does anything stupid and he obliged but he told me no other man would marry her. I begged him not to do anything stupid and he calmed down. I talked to both of them up to 9 pm begging only to get a phone call at 4 am that he had killed her,” she said.
Ms Ahmed warned Kenyans to help their kin facing challenges in their marriages before it is too late.
“It’s like they were forcing themselves on this marriage. A woman crying that the husband is cruel and abusive but the society tells her to persevere because of children that’s why we are in this situation,” she said
Mtwapa OCPD Mohammed Wako confirmed the incident adding that the suspect will be arraigned in court today to be charged with murder.
“I appeal to the public to seek help. We know there are mental challenges but If there are problems in a family solve them amicably instead of taking the laws into your own hands. It’s unfortunate,” said Mr Wako.
