Three-paragraphed eulogy for Tirus Maina, who drowned with 'girlfriend' in Juja Dam
Funeral programme of Tirus Maina Gikonyo.
The eulogy of businessman Tirus Maina Gikonyo, 39, who died alongside a woman in Titanic Dam, Juja, in Kiambu County, was only three paragraphs long.
On January 17, Maina was with his secret lover beside the dam, away from the public eye to have a good time some 19 kilometres from his home in Thika town, Kiambu County, where his family lives.
The three paragraphs were tucked inside the four-page funeral programme with just two photos of Maina. The burial took place on Friday at his ancestral home at Gumba village in Mukurwe-ini constituency, Nyeri County.
Hundreds of friends and relatives thronged the homestead for the burial, which was hurriedly conducted without speeches or photography. The burial service was conducted by a pastor from the Anglican Church of Kenya.
Tension was high as reports went around that the deceased had two wives who were both present. However, none of his wives or children was introduced.
The eulogy read as follows:
CELEBRATING THE MAN WHO WAS LOVING AND CARING
The late Tirus Maina was born in February 1984 at Mukurweini, Nyeri County. He was the third-born son of the late Joseph Gikonyo and Madrin Wangui. He was a loving brother to Jedidah Wangari, the late Judy Wairimu, Michael Mbore, Joyce Wanjiru and Isaiah Mwangi.
The late started his school at Kariara Primary and moved to Rutune Primary then Dedan Kimathi University.
The late Tirus relocated to Thika where he started working as an engineer since 2006 with different companies in and out of the country until his demise.
Maina’s close friend who sought anonymity told Nation.Africa at the burial that a comprehensive eulogy had been prepared but friends and some relatives were shocked upon arrival at the homestead to find the brief programme.
“We had done a very comprehensive eulogy but it is not the one we found here. The eulogy was only written in English, just one version, and was read out by one of the villagers. We were surprised when we saw this brief eulogy which is different from the initial one,” the source said.
It was also disclosed that the 22-year-old Fridah Warau Kamuyu who was found dead alongside Maina, ‘was his new catch’.
“Well, the lady was his new catch. And sadly, the event went that way. Just one person knew that the deceased was going to meet that girl. Maina called the guy who talked to her on phone as they headed to the dam. The guy was shocked when he later learned what had transpired,” he said.
Fridah’s family identified the body on Thursday, January 26, nine days after she died. She had recently graduated from college.
This is after Ms Margaret Kiiru, Maina’s wife, appealed to the well-wishers to help trace her family.
The source said that Maina’s first wife has three children who are all learning in prestigious schools.
“The eldest child is in secondary school while the other two are in primary. Let us give credit where it is due; my friend was a good parent and he gave his children the best. We pray that part of what he has left will cater for his children,” he said.
The source mourned Maina as a great entrepreneur who had excelled in business through Hardrock Engineering Company where he was a managing partner. The company, situated in Thika, deals in ballast.
“He was a great entrepreneur … The business was booming and made him travel far and wide,” he said.
Maina was easily identified after his vehicle registration was shared online.
He had parked the vehicle at the edge of the dam and police sources and the Kiambu fire and emergency department that retrieved the bodies as well as the vehicle told Nation.Africa they had two theories about the incident.
One, Maina drove into the dam by mistake. The other theory police are pursuing is that of probable suicide.
Juja OCPD Phyllis Muthoni told Nation last week that preliminary investigations had revealed that Maina may have driven the motor vehicle into the dam.
“We managed to retrieve the vehicle from the dam and found it in drive mode, meaning the deceased (Maina) may have driven the vehicle into the dam by mistake. We are not ruling out any other factors in the incident and that is why we are investigating the incident. I do not want to discuss it further until the full investigation is complete,” Ms Muthoni told Nation.Africa.
