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

A dispute has emerged over the burial place for the slain Mwingi woman who was shot dead by a prison warder alongside her one-year-old son on Tuesday last week.

The row over the burial place is pitting the woman’s parents on one hand and a section of Mwingi Muslim community on the other. In the mix also is a separated Somali husband.

Until her brutal death in the hands of her lover who was a prison warder at Waita GK prison, Joyce Mwende, 30, was a Muslim.

Her father Ngui Manzi yesterday told The Standard that she converted to Islam about five years ago, after she got into a relationship with a Somali man who hails from Wajir County.

The union brought forth a child, now aged five although the two later parted ways before the woman relocated from Wajir to her parents’ home.

Yesterday, a section of Muslim community in Mwingi town believed to be working with the separated husband and who were armed with shovels and other digging equipment, hurriedly prepared a grave at the cemetery located on the Mwingi–Garissa Road in readiness to bury the slain mother of two.  

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

Manzi, whose family is Christian, remained adamant that she must be buried at his home in Waita location in Mwingi Central. He, however, said he has no objection for his secondborn daughter to be buried in line with Islamic traditions as long as her final resting place is 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.

Abdalla Ng’ong’a, who is the secretary of Mwingi Muslim community, confirmed that a grave had been prepared at the cemetery after the woman’s former husband got permission to bury her.

Ng’ong’a said if the burial was to be conducted in line with Muslim traditions at the father’s home, then the 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 has showed up. They are still in discussion,” said Ng’ong’a.

As to what happens to the grave should the woman be buried at her father’s place, Ng’ong’a said it will be covered to await another body.

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 suspected killer who was identified as David Kimani Nduati, a prison warder at Waita GK Prison, is expected to be arraigned at the Kitui High Court on May 24.

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

After committing the crime, the cop 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.