Magus were picture of perfect couple, say kin

Relatives of the slain Magu family say all seemed well with the couple they believed were living the dream life.

The Magu family lived in a five-bedroom home in the posh Muthaiga Pipeline Estate, and were running a successful real estate agency until Mr Paul Magu suddenly closed down the business in August last year.

Mr Magu’s mother, Ms Keziah Wambui, says her son was warm and friendly towards his relatives until things changed about four years ago when he avoided the extended family without explanation. Ms Wambui adds that her son also changed his attitude towards her and suddenly became cold and unavailable.

“He hardly visited us like before, but we never suspected anything since we always communicated,” Ms Wambui says.

She grew uncomfortable with her son’s sudden obsession with spiritual matters, and says her son claimed that the matters of God were complicated and he would embark on a research about God and his works.

ANN WAMBUI WANYORO

Ms Wambui believes her son was influenced by Ann Wambui Wanyoro, now helping police with investigations into the murder. She says Ms Wanyoro had been a close friend of the Magus for about seven years.

She says she cautioned her son against going into prophesy at the expense of his job and his family’s wellbeing.

“From what I heard, he quit his job about four years ago to concentrate on the church, which they led with Ms Wanyoro.

Called Shower Church, it had no buildings and services would be held on Saturdays in Thika. They would ferry their congregation with buses from as far as Limuru,” she says.

Mr Magu’s mother is still unable to understand why her son was in the process of transferring some of his property to Ms Wanyoro.

Mr Magu’s wife, Lydia Wangui, has an elder brother, Mr Joram Ndau. According to him, the Magus looked every inch the perfect couple living a life of affluence and happiness.

Mr Ndau says his sister managed her husband’s businesses since he was a busy city lawyer.

“In the five years I worked for the couple in their real estate agency that specialised in buying and selling land, not once did I witness the couple arguing,” he says. Mr Ndau worked as an agent in the couple’s real estate agency and would link up the two with potential land buyers and sellers.

ARRESTED

Earlier this week, Ms Wanyoro was arrested in connection with the mysterious deaths in the Magu family.

It is said that Ms Wanyoro was in constant communication with Mr Magu prior to his death and that of his entire family.

Mr Ndau says he saw Ms Wanyoro during her frequent visits to the Magu matrimonial home and confirms she was a family friend of the Magus.

“Ann was a frequent guest in the Magu home in the five years I lived and worked with the couple. I knew her as a very close family friend,” says Ndau.

Mr Ndau says that the Magus were initially members of Faith Evangelistic Ministries (FEM) in Karen which is led by Apostle Teresia Wairimu — until they met Ms Wanyoro.

“It is not very clear how the couple left Wairimu’s Faith Evangelistic Ministries to join Ann’s church,” he says.

Mr Ndau describes Mr Magu as a talkative and jovial man who hardly quarrelled with anyone, including his wife. He however says that Mr Magu’s interest and zeal for business came to a sudden halt in August last year when he closed down the business.

“He was not so concerned about the business. Prior to closing down, he would be very interested in buying large parcels of land and sub-dividing them for sale later. When he suddenly closed the business, we all wondered why he was behaving differently,” says Mr Ndau.