Murang’a woman buried in a gown after passing away days to her wedding

In December last year, an elderly couple residing in Kayole, Nairobi, made the decision to solemnise their marriage after 16 years of living together.

The couple, Stanley Macharia and Nancy Muthoni, was married under the customary law in 1998 after which they had two children.

But growing older together and being very active in their church, the couple decided to make their marriage official in a Christian way.

That decision was arrived at on December 17 last year during the dissolution of a committee that helped organize another couple’s marriage at ACK Pumwani Church, Nairobi.

The committee decided to take on the new responsibility of organising the couple’s wedding that was scheduled for today, August 17, at the same church.

So big were the plans that the bridal party had more than 50 people. Muthoni, 57, worked at the Uhuru market while Macharia is a trader in the Gikomba market.

But things took a drastic turn on July 27, 2024, when Muthoni suddenly fell ill and was attended to at a local health facility and discharged.

Muthoni’s condition, however, worsened and she was taken to another facility before being referred to Kenyatta National Hospital on August 4 where she was admitted.

The admission came as a shock for family members who were counting days to the wedding day. She was diagnosed with pneumonia.

Two days later, on August 6, Muthoni took her last breath, leaving her family reeling in confusion as wedding plans had advanced to the last stages.

But Macharia, determined to give her the wedding she was waiting for with bated breath, decided to turn their wedding day into a burial ceremony.

On Saturday, the bridal party arrived at Macharia’s local church, ACK Gikoe in Mathioya, with their wedding uniforms.

Meanwhile, Muthoni was dressed in her wedding gown complete with a veil and bridal makeup.

At the church, a solemn mood engulfed attendants who watched the colorfully dressed bridal party walk into the church, slowly dancing to gospel wedding songs.

At the front of the church lay Muthoni’s casket covered with Mothers’ Union clothes.

They praised and danced, and afterwards mourned her departure, eulogizing her as a dedicated mother, wife and community member who helped mould many into good Christians.

Macharia said his wife longed for the wedding and that it was unfortunate that she did not live to see the day.

“I still wanted to make her dream come true and am happy wherever she is, she’s happy that the wedding has still happened,” he said in his tribute.

“When we started planning for this day, we thought we were planning for a wedding but God had other plans”.

Macharia said with the clothes ready for the wedding, it’d have been a waste not to give his wife the wedding that she had put a lot of effort into putting together.

“I wanted to give her the satisfaction of a wedding and am happy it has been accomplished. Her soul is happy”.

John Ng’ang’a who was to be the couple’s best man said it was after his wedding in December last year that it was agreed that a wedding for Macharia and Muthoni would be organised.

“I was the vice chairperson of the wedding committee and then became the chairperson of the funeral committee after she passed on”.

“Our plans were to have a mega wedding and it was shocking when she died just days to it”.

Lucy Wanjiru, Muthoni’s friend and neighbour, said they brought their children up together and shared a sisterhood.

Muthoni, she said, was a progressive woman who was always there to offer support when she needed it.

“When I got the news, to say that I was shocked would be an understatement. Our friendship spanned over 25 years,” she said.

Various groups that had prepared to perform during her wedding performed in the burial ceremony.

As they laid her to rest in her husband’s maternal home, mourners said it was God’s will and comforted her family.

by ALICE WAITHERA