Wanjiru to be laid to rest at last

Written By:Glena Nyamwaya,    Posted: Sun, May 22, 2011

Samuel Wanjiru's mother will on Monday withdraw a case filed to halt his interment

The mother to the fallen athletics icon Samuel Wanjiru, Ann Wanjiru, has finally softened her stand and is set to withdraw the case barring her daughter-in-law from burying the late athlete.

The case that is pending before Nakuru High court, was filed by Ms. Wanjiru on Wednesday when she claimed that those who had mothered her son wanted to hurriedly get rid of his remains so as to compromise any evidence that would give leads to the mystery surrounding his death.

The new stance is a culmination of a three day closed door meeting between her, family members and scores of friends from Nyahururu who have been streaming her home to persuade her to change her position.

Another attempted loss

Wanjiru's elder brother Simon Njoroge, is also reported to have attempted to commit suicide over her mother's refusal to allow burial plans initiated by Wanjiru's wife Triza Njeri to proceed.

On the day of the suicide bid, Wanjiru's mother is said to have refused to talk to a group of elders selected from what was the burial committee to reconcile her with her daughter in law in the funeral issue.

"She adamantly refused to get out of the bedroom and switched her phone off" said a source close to the family that requested for anonymity.

 The intervention of former athletic stars Moses Tanui, Paul Tergat and John Ngugi is also said to have contributed immensely to the change of heart.

Wise advice

Nakuru high court judge Anyara Emukule had urged the family to avoid court battles and instead join Kenyans and the rest of the world in giving the late hero a warm send off, saying that the family squabbles are portraying the country in bad light.

The meetings to persuade Wanjiru's mother to withdraw the court injunction barring Njeri from carrying on with burial arrangements was started on Thursday.

Ms. Wanjiru had not only failed to recognize Njeri as her son's lawfully wedded wife, but was also suspecting her of killing her son by hitting him with a metal bar.

Wanjiru is alleged to have fallen off the balcony of his house at Muthaiga estate in Nyahururu town, after his wife found him in bed with another woman on the night of Sunday May 15.

It is claimed that the fallen star may have been trying to restrain his enraged wife from calling the police.

Earlier, Wanjiru's mother maintained that her son was not as immoral as portrayed, adding that there was no woman in the house and he was killed by Njeri and his body thrown out from the balcony.