Family of woman killed by warder refuse to hand over body to ex-husband

A dispute has emerged over who should bury Joyce Mwende, a mother of two, who was shot dead alongside her one-year-old son last week.

The row over the burial is pitting Mwende’s parents, a section of the Mwingi Muslim community and her ex-husband.

Until her brutal death at the hands of her alleged lover, a prison warder at Waita GK prison, the thirty-year-old was a practising Muslim.

Her father, Ngui Manzi, told The Standard that Mwende converted to Islam about five years ago after she wedded a Muslim and relocated to Wajir County. The union brought forth a child, now aged five.

When they parted ways, however, Mwende moved back to her parent's home.

On Sunday, the Muslim community - believed to be working with her estranged husband - prepared a grave at the cemetery located on the Mwingi–Garissa Road ahead of the burial.  

Manzi, who has been holding meetings with Muslim representatives said the family could not release the body, whose postmortem is expected to be conducted on Monday, as well as that of the child.

He remained adamant that Mwende must be buried at his home in Waita location, Mwingi Central.

Manzi noted that he has no objection to his daughter being buried in line with Islamic traditions as long as she is interred at his Waita home.

“It is true she converted to Islam and we respect that. We will allow them to come and bury her according to their religious traditions but we insist it must be at my home,” said Manzi.

Confirming the tussle over who should bury Mwende, Mwingi Muslim community secretary Abdalla Ng'ong'a said a grave was dug at the cemetery after Mwende’s ex-husband obtained burial rights.

Ng'ong'a said if the burial is to be conducted at the father’s home, Mwende's family will cater for all the expenses.

"On the day she was killed, her mother told us she would bury her daughter so we took a back seat because we do not want quarrels. But the husband showed up. They are still in discussion,” said Ng'ong'a.

The body of Mwende, together with that of her one-year-old son, is still lying at Mwingi Level Four Hospital mortuary where a post-mortem is expected to be conducted on Monday.

The suspect in her murder, David Kimani Nduati, is expected to be arraigned at the Kitui High Court on May 24.

Nduati is reported to have sneaked from his work station on Tuesday night to his house where he allegedly opened fire on his girlfriend and her son, killing them on the spot. Her elder daughter, however, managed to escape and is currently living with her grandparents.

After committing the crime, the warder is reported to have turned himself in and handed over the killer weapon, a G3 rifle.

Manzi appealed for help to educate his granddaughter. “As a family, we appeal for support to take care of the girl’s needs such as education because she is now left with no parents,” he said.