Mother back home after two years in pirates captivity

Relatives and friends who turned up at the Wilson Airport on Tuesday evening to receive Loise Njoki when she returned from Somalia. [Photos/Elvis Ogina/standard]

"My name is Loise Njoki... and I want to give thanks for what God has done."

These were the first words Ms Njoki, who has been held captive for close to two years in Somalia, uttered when she emerged out of Nairobi's Wilson Airport last Tuesday.

She raised her frail hands as tears flowed uncontrollably down her cheeks, her mind obviously filled with flashbacks of what she has gone through in Somalia in one year and 11 long months.

"I am so happy that I have seen all of you. Two years is a long time, I have a lot to say. I can talk and talk. But I just want to say God is great. I am free and I escaped unhurt," said Njoki who looked much older than her 34 years.

Njoki, who hails from Bahati in Nakuru County, has been held by pirates in Somalia's Galmudug region and was freed in a military operation on Saturday.

Njoki's 12-year-old daughter Lucy Muthoni would not stop clinging onto her crying mother.

Those who had turned up at the airport had been warned by the delegation's head Samuel Kariithi that no one should hug Njoki as she was still weak.

The people, led by Njoki's elder sister Mary Weru, beat their drums, which they had brought along, and sang songs, praising God for the miracle. Njoki joined them in praising God.

"All that time, I was dying to see is my daughter. I cannot pay back your prayers but this is proof that God can do anything. If you do not believe then listen to Sarah Kiarie's song, 'Liseme'," Njoki told the crowd.

When it was confirmed at 6.30pm Njoki had arrived, her  daughter stormed into the airport to meet her mother as friends and relatives waited a whole hour outside to see her.

The reception turned into a small church service, complete  with prayers and songs. Eventually, a cake was served to celebrate the miraculous return.

Among Njoki's relatives at the airport was James Kuria from Gatundu South. Mr Kuria was captured alongside Njoki but was released on February 17. He arrived in Kenya five days later.

He said they were held hostage on November 24, 2014 at 7pm. He claimed their colleagues, a translator and a caretaker at a private hospital in Central Somalia where they were supplying drugs, conspired to have them abducted.

"Our hands were tied, passports confiscated and money taken. What we went through is inexplicable. It is a miracle that we are here and alive," said Kuria.

He recalled that on that day, they were driven from 9pm to 10am the following day to an unspecified location.

They attempted to escape on December 13 by walking to a nearby centre. Kuria was hidden in a mosque by the area villagers.

"But they (captors) came for us. When I arrived at the confinement house I found Loise had been recaptured earlier. That day we were given a thorough beating and put in separate rooms for the following three months," said Kuria.

They were then given phones to call their relatives through a translator to demand Sh100 million (USD 1 million).

Njoki's brother-in-law John Gitau recalled those moments: "There were times Njoki would call us or the pirates themselves asking for huge sums of money that we had no idea how to raise."

He added: "But God has answered our prayers. We have been fasting and praying and at long last she is here with us. It has been a trying moment."

Both Njoki and Kuria had meals only twice a day; breakfast and supper. Their breakfast comprised bread and strong tea at 10am while dinner was always rice and boiled beans.

They were allowed out of their confinement at 10am for breakfast and at 3.30pm when they were handed a gallon of water to bathe.

"We were told our work is just to eat and rest. That all they wanted from us was money," said Kuria.

Whenever they fell sick, the pirates sent their own doctors. But in July 2015, they fell terribly ill and medicine had to be sneaked in from the United Nations.

At the time, they were staying in the bush and were being guarded by a team of nine.

But on February 17, a month after they moved into another location, they were awoken by the roar of gunfire that lasted over 40 minutes.

"Everyone was scared including the two pirates guarding me," said Kuria.

The pirates managed to take Njoki with them and left Kuria behind. He was rescued by Somali government forces that had staged the attack.