I acted under duress, says Nakuru widow who rejected Uhuru’s house

No other Kenyan has ever made President Uhuru Kenyatta laugh so hard in public like little Denis Ngaruiya did in 2014.

It was during the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) celebrations that Ngaruiya’s poem left the Head of State in stitches.

And after the event, Mr Kenyatta invited the boy and his mother, Damaris Wambui, to State House.

The President then promised to change their lives by paying master Ngaruiya’s full school fees, building the family a home and finding his mother a decent job.

A house was built for the family, but in an interesting turn of events, the family rejected the house upon its completion in 2019, and now, eight years later, their life is still the same.

In fact, they claim that their condition has worsened. The family is homeless, without a source of income and facing life threats.

Ms Wambui is said to have rejected the two-bedroom house erected on a quarter an acre in Murunyu, Bahati sub-county, Nakuru, for what she said was substandard and not befitting a gift from a president.

The house was later handed over to another family, which had three disabled children, in a ceremony that was presided over by then-Rift Valley Regional Commissioner Mongo Chimwaga.

Now, in another twist of events, Ms Wambui has come out to repudiate her earlier statements, which she claims were made through coercion.

According to the single mother, certain influential people were determined to deny her the house and forced her to reject it. Ms Wambui said she struggled for years trying to find the location of the house as the said individuals kept dodging her.

She said former Lanet Chief Francis Kariuki helped her locate the house. Mr Kariuki has since died.

“Immediately after locating the house, I started receiving phone calls from unknown people who forced me to reject the house. They threatened to kill me and my entire family, so I gave in and came up with reasons to reject it.”

She said she chose her life and that of her son over the property, fearing that they would be eliminated.

The problem did not, however, end there. Ms Wambui says that even after heeding the demands, her tormentors continued with their mission.

At one point, she says, some unknown people tried to kidnap her after waylaying her on the road.

Read: Rejected Uhuru gift house gets face-lift in Nakuru

“It was on March 5, 2019, when some three people came to my house to spy on me. They never uttered a word, so I left for the church. They, however, followed me and tried to force me into their vehicle, prompting me to scream for help,” said Ms Wambui. 

She said the kidnappers fled when they saw people coming to her rescue.

Lack of appreciation

She reported the matter to Nakuru Central police station under Occurrence Book number 44/03/2019.
Ms Wambui claims to have been so traumatised by the incident she had to find somewhere else to live.

“I went to stay with my sister for some time before I moved out of the house. My son was at the time a candidate preparing to sit his final KCSE paper.” 

According to Ms Wambui, life has been unbearable since she rejected the house. In an interview with the Saturday Nation, she told of how neighbours would look at her with disdain while others ridiculed her and her son for “lack of appreciation”.

She was isolated by friends and neighbours, while other people insulted her openly, she said. “Some could just speak outside my house, while others would keep quiet whenever I approached but kept pointing at me.”

She said those who were mandated by the President to fulfil the assignment became malicious and frustrated her. She said one Mr Wanjohi was mandated to ensure they had a decent life and her son completed his education up to the college level.

However, Ngaruiya has been at home since sitting his KCSE exam in 2019. “I am not worried about the house nor the job they had promised. I am only concerned about my son’s future. Just look at him, who is going to take him for any hard labour or manual job? I wish they could just allow him to finish his studies,” said Ms Wambui.

She explained that when they called Mr Wanjohi, he told them the President had withdrawn the sponsorship. 

“He insulted me and told me the President had stopped the sponsorship and that I should look for the son’s father. That was hurting because they know very well I am a widow.”

The mother said her son also fell into depression after he became the laughing stock at school.

Overtaken by events

“My schoolmates used to insult me and my family, telling me how stupid we were to reject the President’s gift. I supported my mother’s decision to reject the house because I would not stand losing her over the property,” said Mr Ngaruiya, who is now 19 years old.

The talented poet said for the last two years, he has remained indoors composing poems. He says the experience has caused the family so much anguish. “Sometimes I regret reciting the poem for the President... I thought things would have been so good and easy, but it turned out so complicated and painful to me and my mother.”

He thanked Mr Kenyatta for the opportunity but urged him to be making personal follow-ups to ensure his promises are fulfilled.

“He wished us well, but the people he entrusted with fulfilling his promises created confusion. All I want him to know is that I never joined college as he had promised and have been at home with my mother struggling in life,” said Mr Ngaruiya, who scored C minus and hopes to pursue a film course.

The Saturday Nation has established that the family of Mr Charles Macharia, who was gifted the house in 2019, was handed the parcel’s title deed last year.

Mr Macharia said life has been good and his family is happy, only that they face a water crisis and “one of my disabled sons needs a wheelchair.” 

State House Spokesperson Kanze Dena, when contacted, downplayed the matter, saying it had been overtaken by events.

“The house was given to another deserving family after she rejected it for whatever reasons.”

On Ngaruiya’s education, she said she could not verify the claims.