By Karanja Njoroge
It’s barely a week since the eagerly awaited sentencing of Tom Cholmondeley, but for the family of Robert Njoya nothing has changed.
In their sleepy Kiungururia Village, a few kilometres from Nakuru town, the widow, Mrs Sarah Njoya, has resumed her daily struggle of providing for her three children.
The family’s three-room mud house is not different from any other homestead in the village.
Just like most rural households, there are several goats and chickens roaming the compound.
When The Standard visited the home yesterday, Sarah had just taken a break from tending to her crops in a nearby farm.
"Last year, we did not harvest anything as this area is usually very dry," she said of the farm.
Life, according to the 31-year-old, has changed drastically since the fatal shooting of her husband three years ago by Cholmondeley.
Njoya’s widow, Sarah, at the family’s residence in Kiungururia village. |
Since that shooting, which robbed the family of their sole breadwinner, Sarah says she has been thrust into a new chapter, which she was barely prepared for.
"While he used to provide for the family, I have to struggle to eke out a living in whatever possible way," she adds nostalgically.
casual labour
She rises up early and goes to the Nakuru retail market to sell yams (‘nduma’) to earn a living.
The money she makes is barely enough to ensure her family lives a comfortable life.
"I buy ‘ndumas’ from fellow villagers and then sell them at the Nakuru retail market," she says.
The widow says last year was particularly difficult as farming, which is their mainstay, failed due to the dry spell.
"We did not harvest anything and this year we are trying our luck as Kiungururia is usually very dry," she states as she works on the maize farm.
When business at the market is bad and the situation becomes unbearable, she turns to casual work at her neighbours.
Sarah is at loss over where to get the money to educate the three children. One is sitting the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education this year.
The late Robert Njoya’s sister, Ms Ruth Njeri, with his son John Karigi at his home in Kiungururia farm, Gilgil. Photos: Lucas Thuo/Standard |
She, however, says her neighbours and friends have been supportive during the trying moments.
We found a neighbour, Mr Timothy Nderitu, at the home. He had a mathematics textbook to be used by Njoya’s eldest son, Gidraf Mwangi.
"I have been trying everything including borrowing books from neighbours and friends to ensure he passes his exams," she says of her determination to educate the children.
Ordinary life
The ordinariness of the Njoyas’ life is evident although his shooting captivated local and international media for three years.
At lunchtime, a hurriedly prepared meal of ugali and ‘sukuma wiki’ (kales) is all there is for the three children before they dash back to school. They attend the nearby Kiungururia Primary School.
The eldest, Mwangi (12), is in Standard Eight, while Michael Kamau (10), is in Standard Four.
The last born, John Karigi, who was only five years old when his father’s life was cut short, is in Standard Three.
Sarah says unlike many other people, she has no problems with the eight-month sentence handed to Cholmondeley by High Court Judge Muga Apondi.
Justice dispensed
With gloom descending on her face, Sarah says she has left most of the unanswered questions to God.
The widow said though Cholmondeley was found guilty of manslaughter and not murder, she believes the court did its best to dispense justice.
She has since forgiven Cholmondeley and is now concentrating on the struggle to feed and educate her three children.
"I would not like his family to undergo the pain that I went through when I lost my husband," Sarah adds.
Seeking answers
She, however, says she is disturbed that some of the children, who were too young to understand what happened to their father, have been pestering her for answers.
But she has no ready or available explanations for them on what caused the shooting of their father.
The children, she said, get answers from other sources due to the intense media coverage of their father’s death.
Sarah says she welcomes any assistance that may be forthcoming from the Delamere family.
"What I want is a better life for my children now that their father is dead," she says.
In his mitigation through his lawyer Fred Ojiambo, Cholmondeley had indicated that he was willing to assist the deceased family materially and spiritually.
"There have been no discussions to that end so far," she says.
While sentencing Cholmondeley, Justice Apondi said he imposed the light sentence to allow the accused to reflect on his life and change to an appropriate direction.
