This archive report was first published on 11 July 2019.
Elizabeth Wangoi's death on Saturday at the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH) marks the end of a life forever changed by the horrors of the 2007/2008 post-election violence in Kenya.
Wangoi, 83, was a witness to the brutal burning of Kiambaa Church, an incident that left over 40 people dead and many more injured. The image of her, standing next to the burnt church, crying in agony and grief, has become an enduring symbol of the terror that was unleashed during that period.
According to her relatives, Wangoi had gone to the church to check on her son Kimunya, who she suspected had been trapped in the fire. Kimunya would survive the inferno with burns that left his arms weak.
Wangoi's nephew Philip Gakuha recalled that his aunt had been raped by the youths and her son was burning inside the church. The trauma of that day would stay with her for the rest of her life, causing her to develop high blood pressure, depression, and memory loss.
Despite being promised Sh 400,000 in compensation for her losses, Wangoi never received the money. Her family had to seek help from relatives and well-wishers to support her, but the financial burden was too much to bear.
Now, Wangoi's family is grappling with a bill of Sh 240,000 at the MTRH and is appealing to the government and well-wishers to help them settle the debt so that they can give her a decent send-off.
