Glowing tributes as slain prison warder is buried in Nakuru

Prison staff carry the casket bearing the remains of Ms Pauline Wangari Ngoi during her burial in Njoro, Nakuru County on May 21, 2019. Ms Ngoi worked in Murang'a as prison warder and was found murdered on May 13 in her rental house. PHOTO | JOHN NJOROGE | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • Speakers during her burial were overcome with emotions as they paid tributes to her.
  • Pauline graduated from the Ruiru Prison Training College in 2017.
  • Her father, Patrick Ngoi, said that she had been the star of the family that had just gone dark.
  • Her bosses eulogised Ms Ngoi as a good and devoted officer who related well with her colleagues and staff.

The mood was frenzy on Tuesday, with a hint of confusion, in this Nakuru village.

Eight uniformed prison warders carried the wooden casket, as the mourners calmly looked.

Their village had been put in the list of communities that have lost one of their own in the spate of recent killings involving misunderstandings between lovers.

Pauline Wangari Ngoi, 24, described as a jovial girl, was loved in life and death could do nothing to change this.

EMOTIONS

Speakers during her burial at her home in Naishi village in Njoro Nakuru County, were overcome with emotions as they paid tributes to her.

“It’s unfortunate I won’t be able to see you smile again. I would have wished to see you grow and take care of you as any parent would do to their child. Death is so cruel for having stolen you away from me,” her mother, Lucy Wangui, said.

Ms Ngoi, who worked as a prison warder, was found dead last week on May 14 inside her rental house in Kiharu estate in Murang’a County.

Her body had several stabs in the stomach, chest and head.

Ms Lucy Wangui is overcome with emotion during the burial ceremony of her daughter, Ms Pauline Wangari Ngoi at Naishi village in Njoro,Nakuru County on May 21,2019. PHOTO | JOHN NJOROGE | NATION MEDIA GROUP

PRISON TRAINING

She graduated from the Ruiru Prison Training College in 2017 and had only served for barely two years before she met her death.

Her body was found in her house during a search after she failed to report on duty prompting the management of Murang’a GK Prison to start looking for her.

Speaking during her burial on Tuesday, her father, Patrick Ngoi, said that she had been the star of the family that had just gone dark.

“When you graduated as a prison warder you made me a true man and a hero that had produced one of the greatest people in the society. Your untimely death has robbed me of a heroine, a loving daughter with a powerful smile; rest in peace,” her father said.

DEVOTED OFFICER

Mr John Kisiang’ani, a senior prison superintended, who represented the commissioner general of prisons and central region prisons commander eulogised Ms Ngoi as a good and devoted officer who related well with her colleagues and staff.

“Her sudden demise is a great loss to the Kenya Prison Service and it has left a huge gap in Murang’a and in her family which will be difficult to fill,” the prisons boss said.

Ms Ngoi was born in 1995 and was the first born in a family of five children.

She enrolled at St Joseph Primary School in Njoro and finished Standard Eight in 2008 and proceeded to Nakuru Day School for her secondary school education.

She later joined the prisons training college in 2016.

Prison officers sit beside the coffin during Ms Ngoi's funeral service in Njoro, Nakuru County on May 21, 2019. PHOTO | JOHN NJOROGE | NATION MEDIA GROUP

VERY SOCIAL

“She was very beautiful, likable and very social; she liked partying and had lots of friends whom she hang out with. She served for a short time and had celebrated her 24th birthday on April 20,” a friend said.

Her killing sent shockwaves across the country as it added her into to the list of women who have been killed in “crimes of passion”.

The suspect in her murder, Joseph Ochieng, was allegedly captured on CCTV leaving the murder scene.

He was on Friday arraigned in Murang’a together with two other people.

Ochieng appeared in court alongside Rodgers Namkuro and Mary Amollo, suspected to have been in the company of the accused when he was arrested on Thursday morning in Kericho County.

The three suspects are being held at different police stations in Murang’a until May 31 to allow the prosecution finish investigations.

A search warrant to have the homes of the suspects searched was also issued by Magistrate Sheila Nyaga.