Kiambu Senator fired me after he
raped me, says former househelp
Updated Friday, May 16th 2014
I will never forget July 8, 2006. It
was my third day at work as a
househelp in the Wamatangi
household. I can recall the exact
time, 1.30pm, because I wanted
to watch a programme on
television. My boss Wamatangi
came home and found his wife
with me in the sitting room.
He started quarrelling her,
demanding to know why she
didn’t go to work. I quickly
stepped out of the sitting room
and went to the kitchen. I could
hear them quarrel in English. I
could gather that mzee was not
happy. After five minutes, madam
left for work, and I was left in the
house with Wamatangi.
He then summoned me into the
living room and asked me to bring
him tea.
He asked me to sit down and
chat. I politely refused and told
him I prefer black tea since I
didn’t like milk. That was the
moment he pulled me next to him
and pushed me onto the sofa.
I started screaming and he
slapped me on the face. He then
used his hand to cover my mouth.
I think my screams must have
attracted the neighbour next door
because I heard someone knock
on the door, but they soon left.
He forcefully removed my panty
and forced himself on me. I cried
bitterly. I had never had sex. I
was a virgin. I was saved and a
staunch church member.
I don’t know how long it lasted,
but I just lay there, in pain, and
too shocked to move.
When he finished, he dragged me
to my feet and ordered me to
wash myself. I showered as he
stood by the door, looking at me,
only wearing his shirt and socks.
He warned me not to reveal what
happened to anybody. He said he
would call the police and tell
them to lock me up if I dared.
How was I to know that one
should never shower after a rape
ordeal? I dropped out of school in
class eight for lack of school fees.
My father died when I was very
young, and my mother is a
peasant farmer.
Wamatangi is a millionaire, the
richest man in my village, and has
connections with ‘big’ people. I
was too scared.
Too scared to talk
I took my shame, and hid in the
bedroom where I stayed until
madam came in the evening. I
didn’t tell madam since mzee was
also around, and I was afraid of
him.
The next day, I went and told our
neighbour, who invited madam
and told her. Madam was not
shocked. She told me there was
nothing she could do, and that
her hands were ‘tied’. The
neighbour convinced madam to
tell mzee to take me to hospital
‘ili nisafishwe.’
It took madam three days to
gather courage to ask her
husband to take me to hospital.
He agreed but when we reached
Nairobi Women’s Hospital gate, he
told us to get out of his car and
threw Sh1,200 on the ground,
warning me to never step in his
house again. He fired me right
outside the hospital gate and
sped off. After one week, my
greatest fear was confirmed. I had
missed my periods.
On April 23, 2007, I gave birth to
a baby girl at Nazareth Hospital.
It was when the baby was two
months old, that Wamatangi came
to see his daughter.
He gave me Sh7,000. He never
came to see the child again, or
offer any financial support. I went
to the children’s office at Nyayo
House where they wrote a letter to
him. After two weeks, I went back.
The gentleman at the children’s
welfare office in Nyayo House told
me they could not help me. I
didn’t lose hope and mid July
2007, I went to Fida (Federation of
Women Lawyers – Kenya). They
wrote a letter, which was delivered
to Wamatangi.
In August, I went back to Fida
and the director (she died a few
weeks back after thugs attacked
her and raped her two daughters)
told me pointblank that she could
do nothing. She then took my
papers and tore them into pieces.
She told me, “Lazima uongee
mzuri na mzee. Hakuna kitu
unaweza mfanyia (You have to be
polite with the old man. You can
do nothing to him).”
Towards the end of 2007,
Wamatangi was running for a
parliamentary seat. He came
home to my mother, and gave her
Sh20,000 promising to cater for
his daughter’s upkeep.
But he lost the elections.
Allowed me in his bazaar
He again went silent and in May
2008, I decided to visit his office
near Nyayo Stadium where he has
a car bazaar. He kept me waiting
the whole day then around 3pm,
called me to the conference room.
See Also: Senator Wamatangi
abandoned our child: Former
househelp
He summoned all his employees
and warned them to never allow
me near his office.
He threatened to fire anyone who
allowed me to his bazaar. He
hurled abuses at me as his
employees watched. I started
crying and he dragged me out
and threw me out the gate. I was
carrying my daughter who was
also crying. One employee was
touched and gave me bus fare.
