Tears as heartless gangsters turn couple’s wedding joy into grief

Beatrice Nyaoke’s mother in grief over death of her daughter who was to wed at the weekend. [Photo: Moses Omusula/Standard]

By Abigael Sum and Cyrus Ombati

Nairobi, Kenya: Newton and Beatrice had their wedding rehearsal on Sunday and everything went as expected. They were anxiously waiting for their big day this Saturday to solemnise their 13-year union.

However, on Monday when the lovebirds went out shopping for a wedding ring, and as they looked forward to enjoying their big day just like newly-weds do, little did they know it wasn’t going to take place.

Sadly, it was at that jewellery shop that the bride was shot dead by gunmen after a shopping for a wedding ring. The happy day turned tragic thanks to three heartless gunmen who stormed the shop, fired at them and left without stealing a thing.

Newton and Beatrice Nyaoke had been married for 13 years and were looking forward to solemnising their union at the end of this week. They walked into the shop in the company of their brother Ayub who succumbed to gunshot wounds at Kenyatta National Hospital Tuesday at 12.30am.

Final touches

Tuesday, a sombre mood engulfed their home in Mathare North as family, relatives and friends continued to stream in to condole the family.

Their children gazed at the visitors who come to their house perhaps unable to understand what had befallen their once happy home. The tragedy leaves family and friends planning for two funerals instead of a wedding.

Rose Ongowu, the mother of the deceased, was scheduled to travel on Friday to give her daughter away in marriage, but with the sad news, she had to put all other plans on hold and come Nairobi.

“We had already made plans as a family to attend the wedding this weekend. We had even bought a gas cooker which Beatrice had requested as a gift from us (parents),” said Ongowu, unable to contain her tears.

Wedding plans were at an advanced stage and the couple was making final preparations, but all this was cut short by the violent act of the three gunmen.

The Monday’s events that led to his wife’s death, are still fresh in Newton’s mind. Narrating the incident, the 40-year-old man, who works as a security officer with KK Group in Nairobi, said they left Lang’ata where they attended a funeral and headed to the city centre to buy the rings.

Newton says he withdrew Sh8,000 from Equity Bank on Mfangano Street before they proceeded to Maru Italian Shoes shop in Corner House building where their rings awaited.

Minutes after they entered the shop, they were accosted by the three-man gang, each pointing a gun at them. He says they were ordered to lift their hands up then empty their pockets but before he reached for his, he heard gunshots and immediately went down.

Nothing stolen

He says by the time he raised his head after the gangsters left, his wife lay lifeless on the floor with a gunshot wound to the forehead while his brother was writhing in pain at his right side.

Ayub (Newton’s brother) was rushed to KNH where he was taken straight to theatre with a bullet lodged in his head while Beatrice’s body was take to Chiromo Mortuary.

The last memory Newton has of his wife Betty, as he fondly called her, is a “squabble” they had over the colour and make of the ring he intended to buy for her. “The last conversation we had was an argument on the colour of the ring. She wanted silver while I wanted gold. It was in the process that the three men entered the shop and ordered us to raise our hands,” he says. “The gangsters left without stealing anything from us or from the shop.”

According to Newton, the wedding cake, suits and gown had already been bought.

“We had done the rehearsal in the presence of our children, best couple and all the bridesmaids and groomsmen. The only thing that was pending, apart from the rings, was assigning duties for our big day. We were to meet with the planning committee on Wednesday (today) to know who would take charge of what,” adds Newton.

He says they first met in 2000 and went on to have four children - two boys and two girls aged between one and 10 years.

Beatrice, 32, was a businesswoman dealing in clothes at Nairobi’s Huruma estate. Their wedding - with a budget of Sh155,000 - was to be held at ACK St Christopher Church in Mathare North. Their church had contributed Sh110,000 towards the wedding through a fundraiser.

Florence Adhiambo of Befo Bakers said she had finished with the seven-tier wedding cake.

Police probe

“The two wanted a fruitcake and we agreed on a weight of 15 kilos. I had baked the cake and was to begin icing it when I watched the news on TV that they were involved in a shoot-out and Beatrice was dead. She was supposed to come and see the cake on Wednesday (today),” says Adhiambo.

Ayub was a police constable based upcountry and had visited Nairobi to attend the wedding when he met his death.

Central police boss Patrick Oduma said they were viewing the incident as murder and not robbery as they continue to investigate the shooting, but they have no leads yet.