By: james Murua

james Murua — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 10:02:47 +0000

Was googling your name after an argument with someone (name withheld) and found this lovely blog of yours. I never knew Wambui Otieno-Mbugua personally. Never met her. I remember when her husband died in ’89 and that crazy clan decided they would have his body. I eventually came to learn that it was less about where his body was buried and more about who got the mans wealth now that he was gone. They got to bury their son but she won as she kept the property if memory served me correctly.
When she married young Mbugua recently my friend was at the wedding and she kept complaining that she was grossed out by the sight of this older woman kissing this young dude. I wasn’t too enthused about it either (ol lady kissing ewwww!!). Here’s the thing; Wambui was the only woman who was willing to come out and declare her love publicly to a man many years her junior and marry him. Its been happening for a long time in this society and she broke an idea. The idea that being in love and older and shouting from the roof tops is taboo. I didn’t like her breaking the status quo then but with hindsight we are all better for it.
I never knew that this woman influenced people beyond our little space in Nairobi and for that I have to salute her.
Fare the well Wambui. You were not as crazy as I thought you to be. I was the crazy uninformed one.

By: Nomvuzo

Nomvuzo — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 15:35:13 +0000

It was indeed a loss but the revolution must continue with the women that are left and I thinks it is then that her spirit will leave on.

By: shailjapatel

shailjapatel — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 15:39:26 +0000

Yes. I feel you on so many levels. I too groped for words to capture the intangibles she embodied, and enacted. I am so glad you found the language, and shared it with us.

Comments on: Wanting Wambui Otieno back

By: james Murua

By: Nomvuzo

By: shailjapatel