It was pain and tears as caskets of Nicholas Njoroge, his wife Anne Wanjiku and sons Christian Njenga and Maxwell Njenga were placed side by side.
Speaker after speaker paid glowing tribute to the Njoroges and their two children.
The four family members were murdered in their house in Kiambu County and their son Lawrence Warunge, 22, is the main suspect.
Perhaps the most moving sight at the memorial service was the two surviving daughters, Joyce Njeri and Grace Karagi, who looked lost and shattered.
The two girls escaped death by a whisker because they were in boarding school at the time of the murders.
Stared in silence
Numbed by pain, the girls stared in silence; perhaps still shocked by the horror that befell their family.
Relatives shielded them from the glare of curious onlookers and their tribute was read by a close family member.
“I pray that I will die without witnessing or hearing of such a horrific incident again. My heart is broken,” said Susan Wangui, a relative, in an emotional eulogy.
The mourners wept as the tribute was read.
Wangui reminisced the fun times the family had had together before tragedy struck.
She spoke of lost hope and painful reality of having to pick up the pieces.
In between heartbreaking sobs, she had to stop when the wailing from the crowd got too loud.
The emotions were raw with each speaker expressing shock and pain, wondering how life will be for the girls without their parents.
Anne’s colleagues paid glowing tributes to one of their own.
Joseph Murega, the Kiambu executive for health described Anne as a committed worker who had specialised in psychiatric health.
“We have lost one of the best brains in mental health in Kiambu county,“ Murega said.
As the ceremony proceeded, candles were lit as heartbroken nurses recited their oath of duty.
Kiambaa MP Paul Koinange advised parents to be more involved in the lives of their children so that they pick odd behaviour at an early age.
“We are overexposing our children to the internet and TV, with violent movies becoming a daily dose of what we watch.
“We must now take responsibility over what we allow our children to watch,” Koinange said.
Koinange also said there is general hopelessness in the youth with statistics showing that 55 per cent of young people have used drugs and psychotropic substances.
Kiambu Governor James Nyoro said the four deaths was heartbreaking, even the police officers handling the case were moved to tears.
“Even people you think are hardy like police officers are crying. This is an indicator of how deeply they have been affected by these deaths,” Nyoro said.
Judy Mumbi, another mourner, said there are many relatives and friends who are yet to come to terms with the deaths.
In a bid to restore hope in an atmosphere filled pain and despair, Bishop Charles Muturi of ACK church, started his sermon by reminding the mourners of God’s ability to restore faith, even where there is hopelessness and pain.
“We hate the sin but we love the sinner,” Muturi said.
The bishop disclosed that he had instructed the vicar in charge of prisons to visit Lawrence and pray with him.
“I have also appointed a competent clergy and counsellor to talk to the two sisters and help them in their journey of healing and restoration,” Muturi said.
The bodies of the four were interred at their home in Karura.
Meanwhile, Lawrence and his girlfriend are in police custody as investigations go on.
Credit: Source link