Former city MCA plotted attack on slain wife, court told

Moments before she died, Lucy Njambi, the slain wife of former Riruta ward representative, told relatives and doctors that it was her husband who hatched the attack that also saw her body doused in acid, the High Court heard Tuesday.

The ex-MCA, Samwel Ndung’u, Joyce Njambi, who is said to be his lover, and Wilson Mwangi have been charged with killing Ms Njambi within Kiambu on January 24.

ASSAULT

Esther Nyambura, Ms Njambi’s aunt, told the court that on January 24, after her niece was taken to Kiambu Level Five Hospital by a Good Samaritan who found her at Kamiti Corner, the family received a call from the hospital.

Ms Nyambura, who lives at Karembu  in Gatundu South, told Kiambu Judge Joel Ngugi that Ms Njambi’s face was disfigured, and it was not easy to recognise her, although she was able to see and talk, albeit with a lot of struggle.

She said that when they arrived at the hospital at around 1am, they found Ms Njambi, 24, on a bed at the casualty.

“I asked her if she knew who I was and she said yes, you are my auntie. I proceeded to ask her what had happened to her and she responded by saying aki ni baba Njoro (Ndung’u), muulize (it’s Njoro’s father, ask him),” Ms Nyambura told the court,

Shortly after, Ms Njambi, who was in a lot of pain, was transferred to Kenyatta National Hospital where the aunt followed her with a few other relatives.

At KNH, Ms Nyambura, who occasionally broke down while testifying, said she again asked her niece what had happened, and she repeated that it was her husband who was responsible and told a doctor the same.

Fidelis Muthoni, also an aunt to Njambi, said that before the incident, Ms Njambi had informed her that she feared for her life because Mr Ndung’u, who was accusing her of having an affair, kept battering her.

Ms Muthoni told the court that on December 9, 2017, Njambi sent her a message telling her that in case she died, she should take care of her four-year-old son, saying that her husband had beaten her, injuring her head and ribs.

She added that before the attack, Ms Njambi had said that Mr Ndung’u should take back the bride price because she was not ready to continue living with him due to violence.

Ms Njambi’s grandmother Margaret Gacabi said her granddaughter was very unhappy with her marriage and would flee to their ancestral home in Gatundu South.

The family, she said, held several meetings to try and reconcile the couple but this never worked.

The accused were Tuesday released on bond. Justice Ngugi, however, forbade them from speaking to witnesses.