She dreaded month ends. Her dreams ended with every new moon - well until one night, it ended her life too.
While it is almost everyone’s dream to make hay around month-end, for a slain Mirriam Nekesa, this was the time she faced most violence from her husband.
Like most young girls, Nekesa dreamt of getting married and raising a happy family, she often told neighbour Lorrine Achieng’.
She eventually met Fredrick Mmbala Musoti whom she married and started raising a family in Kisumu Ndogo, Kibra in Nairobi.
The mother of two was killed on the night of June 6, 2018. Her husband has been charged with her murder, but he has denied the charge.
Yesterday, Lorrine told the High Court in Milimani that she left Nekesa’s house at around 9pm. Musoti, their two children, her niece and a house help were in the house.
“About 20 minutes after I checked up on the family, I heard Nekesa’s children screaming. Our single-room houses are adjacent so we rushed out to see what was happening,” Lorrine told Justice Jessie Lessit.
The door was locked from inside. She went to a window and banged it as her brother-in-law kicked the door and asked the children to open.
“Fredrick (the accused) came out with a panga threatening to kill us. He chased Jonathan, a neighbour, towards the gate. Fredrick didn’t return,” Lorrine said.
“My in-law checked inside and screamed. I peeped inside. Nekesa was on the floor with her back leaning on a chair. Her mouth was cut open. It was a horrid scene so I ran out screaming, not sure whether she was dead or alive,” she said.
By the time the other neighbours arrived, Nekesa was dead. Police were called and they took away the body.
“Nekesa would always worry about her husband every end month. She would tell me, ‘it’s end-month, a time for war, a time to sleep with the children,” she told the court. “She often told me ‘this man (Fredrick)' will kill me one day”.
Nekesa’s brother Hannington Wesonga learnt of his last born sister's death from neighbours.
“I did not even know my sister was married. I got to the house where she was staying and saw a pool of blood before going to identify her body at the City Mortuary,” said Wesonga.
The hearing continues.
