Wanjiru Kihoro is Dead

RENOWNED Kenyan democrat and human rights activist, Dr. Wanjiru Kihoro is dead.

Wanjiru who is the wife of a leading land lawyer and former Nyeri Town Member of Parliament Wanyiri Kihoro succumbed to death after hanging on to a life saving machine for a record three years and nine months.

Wanjiru, 50, was at the forefront of the fight for democracy for the better part of her life. But the painful part of her story of great courage is that a hospital bill running to a whooping Kshs40 million stands at the doorstep of the family’s house following her long stay at Nairobi and Kenyatta Hospitals.

According to her husband, who wept uncontrollably and thus struggled to communicate the sad news of his wifes departure, Wanjiru died on Thursday night at 10 pm as doctors tried to resuscitate her.

"I had visited my wife and talked to her, although she could not respond but she blinked at me. I did not know it was the last time to see her alive. Wanjiru has left us,” said Kihoro from Kenyatta National Hospital.

Wanjiru was transferred to Kenyatta from Nairobi Hospital last year where she has been in a coma from January 2003 after being involved in a plane crash in Busia that claimed the life of Mohammed Ahmed Khalif, then Labour minister in President Mwai Kibaki-led National Rainbow Coalition (Narc) government and two pilots.

Also on the fateful flight were Vice-President Moody Awori, Foreign Affairs minister Raphael Tuju, former immigration minister Linah Jebii Kilimo, Transport assistant minister Robinson Njeri Githae, Hamisi Mp George Khaniri and Lady Justice Martha Koome.

By the time, President Kibaki, was also in hospital for treatment relating to a car crash during the 2002 election campaign that occurred at the Machakos-Mombasa road junction.

Among those who sent their condolences included, President Kibaki, Nominated Mp Njoki Ndungu and Justice and Constitutional affairs minister Martha Karua and Nairobi Catholic Archbishop Raphael Ndingi Mwana’a Nzeki.

Kibaki termed Wanjiru’s death a “great blow” to the nation and prayed to God to give strength to the larger Kihoro family during the time of grief.

Ms. Ndungu who worked closely with the late before the mishap eulogized her as a great Kenyan who set a lasting example to women and Kenyans at large.

Justice minister Ms Martha Karua who was with her at the time of the tragic air accident expressed shock on receiving the news of her death. With Karua, Wanjiru was among the gallant women who courageously took to the streets in mid 1980’s to oppose the cruel Kanu regime in Kenya with a view to force former President Daniel Toroitich arap Moi to allow multi-party democracy in the country.

Indeed, the two were comrades at arms during the time as Kihoro was arrested, tortured and detained at the infamous “Nyayo torture chambers” that were purposely built to silence government critics. Kihoro was eventually forced to take refuge in London where he remained until the 1997 electioneering year when Kibaki, then Democratic Party (DP) Chairman personally requested him to return back home and vie for a seat in Nyeri Town that he went on to win by a landslide margin.

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