This archive report was first published on 8 May 2020.
Former KBC Journalist Rachel Wainaina Opens Up About Abusive Marriage ¶
At 17, Rachel Wainaina was a hawker trying to survive, but she had a passion for journalism. She saved up KSh 150,000 and attended a journalism school, where she landed an internship at KBC. At 22, she got married to a man she met while working as a journalist.
Speaking to Ruth Wamuyu, Rachel shared her experience of an abusive marriage that left her hospitalized for 70 days. She said, 'I never walked out because I believed in marriage and thought he would change. I used to feel sympathy for him because he is an orphan, he was a hawker, so I assumed he used to go through a lot and assumed me to change.'
However, the abuse continued, and Rachel's husband would beat her every two or three months for trivial reasons. He would also pour cold water on her, pee on her, and flush down their wedding rings. Rachel said, 'It was really sad, There is a day he stripped me naked and threw me out of the house in Gachie, even with all the insecurity.'
Despite the abuse, Rachel stayed in the marriage for years, hoping that her husband would change. However, the abuse continued, and Rachel's husband even started threatening her after she decided to leave. She said, 'When I told him it was over, he started threatening me and started stalking me, At the time I went to leave with my cousin.'
After leaving her cousin's place, Rachel decided to report her abusive husband to the police. She went to the central police station and asked to see the OCS, who tracked down her husband and got him arrested. The OCS warned him against coming near Rachel or calling her, and threatened to shoot him if he ever beat her again.
Rachel's story is a testament to the horrors of domestic violence and the importance of seeking help. She said, 'That is how I became free.'
