This archive report was first published on 30 August 2021.
On August 30, 2021, a remarkable story of mistaken identity and family reunion unfolded in Murang'a, Kenya.
A woman named Hannah Wangari, who had been missing for 27 years, returned home, leaving her family stunned and confused.
Twenty-seven years ago, Wangari's family had given her dowry and attended her burial in Nyeri County, believing she had passed away.
However, Wangari had actually left home and started a new life in Kiambu, where she got married and had five children and two grandchildren.
Her family's discovery of her return was met with a mix of emotions, ranging from fear to joy.
Wangari's father, Joseph Mwangi, recalled the day they received news of a woman who had been admitted to Nyeri Hospital and mentioned their names as her parents.
They visited her at the hospital, but she was too frail to be identified, and she later died after three days.
It was then that they discovered the woman they thought was their daughter had been married in Nyeri and had two children, a boy and a girl.
Wangari's family connected with her daughter's husband and even attended the final send-off in Nyeri to pay tributes to their daughter.
However, things took a surprising turn when Wangari returned home last Monday, sending shockwaves through her family.
Her aunt ran helter-skelter, thinking that 'the niece's spirit had 'resurrected''.
After hours of confusion and fear, Wangari reintegrated with her family, explaining the order of events that led to her disappearance.
Wangari revealed that she left home and was employed as a house help in Kiambu, only to land a husband after a disagreement with her employer.
She currently earns Sh300 per day washing clothes in the neighbourhood, which is hardly enough to feed her children.
Wangari's uncle, John Ndegwa, stated that they would reach out to the other family whose daughter died and negotiate with the in-laws in Nyeri to return the bride price.
