Kiharu family in agony after losing 12 members to alcoholism

Grace Wahu came to the limelight early last year when the former president, Rigathi Gachagua, visited her at her home in Kongo-ini, Kiharu after it emerged that she had lost eight of her children to alcohol.

Wahu, 86 years old, emotionally said she has watched her children die one after another due to alcohol-related complications.

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The family has not had a chance to heal their hearts, as in a span of two years, four more people in the family have died, the most recent being her grandson.

Troubled Wahu now says she doesn’t understand what is eating into her family and is worried that it might wipe out her entire family lineage.

She says the children were a beacon of hope for her, as some of them who had started earning were taking care of her, buying foodstuffs and drugs. Today, even getting Ksh100 to buy the meds for high blood pressure and diabetes is a challenge.

“It’s very sad to see the children I raised to adulthood die one after another, and I was hoping they were the ones to look after me in my old age,” she remarked.

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“Waking up to the sight of 12 graves every day is very draining emotionally, but I have to live through the pain, though it’s not easy,” Wahu said.

The troubled mother says she cannot explain the root of this trail of tragedy, adding that doing a background check into her family, there is nothing that appears ‘harmful’ to them.

“Initially, I thought this had to do with the traditional rites, and I consulted widely if there was anything that was not done and that could be the one causing the death, but there was none,” she said.

Wahu says she even feels the community around her has abandoned her, as they think her family is cursed, which is why they have been suffering from one misfortune to another.

“When my daughter leaves to go hunt for work, I’m left alone at home; nobody comes to check on me, which really breaks my heart,” she added.

She insists that the government ought to put in more effort to eradicate alcoholism, saying it has caused a lot of damage, especially to the young people whose lives are being wasted away.

Margaret Wairimu, Wahu’s daughter, who lost her son, says the family is troubled, and they are living in panic as they don’t know who will be next.

The son was found lying by the roadside a few kilometres from their home after allegedly being involved in an accident, and it’s also claimed he was drunk.

“We live with uncertainty because we don’t know what will befall us and who the next victim might be,” said Wairimu.

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“Our fear is not knowing what is happening to this family, not that the spirit of death has started taking away our children,” she added.

She said most nights they sit up all night, sitting down as the mother cannot sleep due to distress.

On several occasions, she said, people have advised her to consult a seer who can help establish what is ailing the family and address it.

“We have never thought of taking that route, but we keep praying that one day we will get answers on this matter,” Wairimu said.

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