By Lonah Kibet

Four-year-old Onesmus Muthui sits outside Garissa Provincial Hospital Mortuary with his grandfather Joseph Mwatha dazed by his surrounding. He does not comprehend why there are many strange people with sad faces around.

He tells The Standard that his mother was in church worshipping when a loud explosion occurred.

He probably thinks he will find his mother and little sister home when his grandfather finally gets him out of this place.

But the truth is, Muthui’s mother and sister died in last Sunday’s terror attack at the African Inland Church in Garissa while worshippers were praising and glorifying God.

Four maked goons shot at the worshippers indiscriminately and then hurled grenades at them, killing 17 and injuring more than 60.

“He doesn’t know his mother is dead. He is telling people that his mother was in church when the loud explosion occurred,” says Mwatha, the boy’s grieving grandfather.

But to be strong for his grandson, Mwatha tries his best to hide his sorrow. Sometimes, however, he is overcome and lets the tears flow. Muthui’s mother, Everlyne Ngina, was Mwatha’s beloved niece, who was an orphan.

Mwatha and the others at the morgue waiting to view bodies of their loved ones have many questions whose answers might help ease the pain of loss.

safest haven

For example, they would like to know why a place of worship was targeted. A church is supposed to be a sanctuary, the safest haven in times of turbulence. But, it seems, that was not the case last Sunday.

And on that Sunday, Muthui’s mother, Ngina, and his infant sister, who was only a few months old, were in the church praying.

Just before the masked and armed men stormed the church to slaughter the faithful, Muthui had stepped out to play. That is how he survived. His mother held the infant tightly as she praised her maker. A bullet ripped mother and baby apart.

If the boy hadn’t left to play with other children, then the entire family could be no more. Muthui’s father had died much earlier.

“He survived for a reason. If he wasn’t playing at that particular moment, the entire family would have perished,” says Mwatha.

Muthui may be too young to understand the tragedy; but that incident has changed his life forever — and the miraculous survival.

“It is going to be a difficult time for the boy especially as time goes by and he realises his mother has not returned from church,” a tearful Mwatha says.

Muthui has no one else to take care of him and the burden has to be shouldered by his ageing grandfather.

Mwatha says his greatest challenge would be educating the boy as he is about to start school.

“Muthui has no one else but me. I am old and I really need to be assisted to help this boy grow up,” says the desperate grandfather.

beloved mothers

Many other children who accompanied their kin to the mortuary are yet to realise that the loud bang last Sunday took away their beloved mothers.

Most of them have been left in the care of their grandparents, as their mothers were single parents.

Two other children, Kamau Tabitha and Elizabeth Mabaya, lost their mothers and will now have to rely on their grandmothers Monicah Kwanji and Margaret Mabaya respectively.