Carol Ngumbu’s family: Msando kin got state job, we got nothing
The late Carol Ngumbu. She was an intern at Naivasha Sub-County Hospital. PHOTO | COURTESY | FACEBOOK
The family of Carol Ngumbu, whose body was found alongside that of electoral commission employee Chris Msando five years ago, is demanding justice.
Carol’s mother Serah Ngumbu and her sister Jedida Wanjiku, in an exclusive interview with NTV, said the government had forgotten about her, and the family had not received any updates since they recorded statements with police following the killings.
They say they have been forgotten because Carol didn’t work for the government, unlike Msando, whose family the government comforted by offering his wife a job.
Ms Ngumbu says that although they have moved on, she wonders whether the murder will ever be solved, adding that the government should think about them because educating Carol was costly.
Msando, the IT manager at the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), was last seen alive on Friday, July 28, 2017, just days to the election. His body was found in Maguga forest, Kikuyu, three days later, alongside that of Carol, who was 21 years old.
The late Carol Ngumbu, 21. PHOTO | COURTESY | FACEBOOK
“The loan I took to educate her, I paid after her funeral. Her father and I had a hard time because we sacrificed a lot,” a teary Ms Ngumbu said at her home in Gachie, Kiambu County.
“I would like the government to look into this matter, and she was a child, and if she had completed her studies and was still alive, she would have worked for the government or citizens.
“The family of Msando were heard after speaking out, but I've been forgotten. There is no communication at all.”
The late Carol Ngumbu. She was an intern at Naivasha Sub-County Hospital. PHOTO | COURTESY | FACEBOOK
Carol’s sister echoed her mother’s sentiments, saying the family had been treated like nobodies.
“Our biggest concern here is ... even about Msando's family. He had a family and very young children. I believe one day the kids will ask where their father went. As much as we need answers, they also do. At least the government condoled with them. The mother got a state job. As much as they need answers, they are in a better position now, I think,” Ms Wanjiku said.
She added: “Carol (her official name was Maryanne Wairimu Ngumbu) and Chris were different people and I think, maybe, that's why their cases were treated differently, because Carol didn't work for the government. It is so unfair ..."
The family wonders why the government did not conduct a public inquest into the killings.
As the country heads to another general election, the murders remain unsolved.
“The least they would have done was to hold a public inquest... at least we could have found answers... I also believe that not all cases can be solved,” said Ms Wanjiku.
Ms Ngumbu said her late daughter was disciplined and focused on her studies, saying she was not aware that Carol was dating the IT boss at the IEBC.
When the news broke that an IEBC senior employee had disappeared, Ms Ngumbu, a prayerful woman, hoped Msando would be found, not knowing that death would come to her door too.
She said that when she heard from neighbours that the IEBC worker’s body had been found alongside that of a woman, later identified as her daughter, it took her days to accept the news.
“She was a very polite person and she was very disciplined. She used to listen to her father. There is no day she was sent home for fees. I wasn't aware of her affair with the guy (Msando),” Ms Ngumbu said.
“I knew nothing about the guy. When people brought me the news that the person who had disappeared had been murdered with Carol, I didn't believe it. It took me a long time to do so."
Ms Wanjiku, however, said she was aware of her sister’s affair with Msando, but could not tell her parents.
On the night Msando and her sister were murdered, Ms Wanjiku said she was supposed to hang out with the couple at an entertainment joint in Nairobi. But her phone went off and the three did not connect.
“That day, Carol told me that she was to meet with Chris, but he was attending a meeting. Chris called her to inform her that she should wait for him somewhere. A colleague of Chris, whom I had met before, was to give Carol company until Chris showed up,” she said.
“Since I was to join them, Carol called me asking where I was. I told her I wanted to clear with my clients first before I could leave, but my phone went off. I tried to charge it but it didn’t work.
“I could not go to town because I didn't have cash with me. I was to pay for my cab with M-Pesa, and that's how I decided to go home.
“All these happened that particular Friday and already Chris had showed up. That is the last time I spoke to them. It was around 9-10pm. That's how I missed that company. It is the phone that helped me by going off."
Police spokesman Bruno Shioso said the deaths are still under investigation.
