BBC NEWS | World | Africa | Renowned Kenyan author attacked

Tony Bogues has forwarded this horrible report on Ngugi's torture in Kenya. I think the journal needs to post at least a head note in an upcoming issue. I would welcome comments. PAB

BBC NEWS | World | Africa | Renowned Kenyan author attacked


August 17, 2004
Posted to the web August 17, 2004

Patrick Mathangani
Nairobi

Prof Ngugi wa Thiong'o's wife Njeeri yesterday recounted her harrowing ordeal in the hands of a rapist when the couple was attacked last week.

Njeeri broke down at a news conference as she recalled the rapist subduing her even as she screamed in the dark for help and Ngugi fought other attackers in another room.

She told of her fear of contracting HIV, which causes Aids, once she realised she could not fight off the rapist.

It was too much for her husband. When he realised what had happened to her, he stood at the door and asked the rapist to kill him.

Njeeri told her heart-rending story to the world ringed by Justice and Constitutional Affairs Minister Kiraitu Murungi, his Roads counterpart Raila Odinga and Office of the President assistant minister Kivutha Kibwana.

The ministers apologised to the Ngugis over the attack as Kibwana admitted a "lapse" in providing security for the couple.

At times, Njeeri's voice trailed off to a whisper before she found it again.

She said she was speaking out about her ordeal because silence had led to the stigmatisation of rape victims.

"It would have been very, very easy for me to take your word as attempted rape, get on the plane and go to America and heal myself."

But she thought about hundreds of Kenyan women and children, who go through a similar ordeal but do not have the resources to help them overcome the trauma.

This gave her the strength to speak out.

"When I was yelling out at the window, please call the police, call the ambulance, I've been raped, somewhere somebody was saying psshh," she said.

Then she added: "I saw it over and over on TV that Ngugi wa Thiong'o's wife attempted rape, and I was like putting a knife in my chest over and over again."

She said she left the apartment in sandals given by a well-wisher, a Ms Mwende, because she could not trace her shoes immediately.

Njeeri, who is the director of the Faculty and Staff Counselling programme at the University of California, Irvine, said they treat people with many emotional and problems. Ngugi lectures at the university.

She has worked with neglected children in New Jersey for 18 years and seen children abused in every way.

Njeeri appeared to fight back a flood of tears when one of their grandchildren, six-year-old Sherrie Kabae, gave her flowers and apologised.

"I never expected a child to come and say, I'm sorry Njeeri, I'm sorry that happened. I never expected her to apologise for them that did this to me."

When emotions overwhelmed her, she said: "I'm sorry. That's all," and dabbed her face with a white flannel.

But encouraged by Ngugi, who put his arm over her shoulders tenderly, Njeeri found her voice again.

"No, it's not all, it's not all," she said, and narrated how Ngugi had one day told her he would never return to Kenya as long as the Kanu regime was in power.

She said she implored him - as is the wisdom when the Kikuyu utter a definite statement - to say natikirumi (my words are not a curse), but Ngugi never withdrew his statement.

"My fear and prayer was that I would return him home when he was still standing, not in a box, because he never said natikirumi."

She said she rejoiced when she learned Kanu had been removed from power because she was free to bring him back home.

"I brought him back to you, then somebody almost killed him. It's not fair, it's not right, it's not right," she said and wept.

Ngugi said the attackers appeared to have been sent by someone to humiliate them because their actions were unhurried and deliberate.

Ngugi said the attackers were meticulous in the action and appeared to read from a script prepared by people he does not know.

"It is difficult to believe that these four were acting alone or that theft was their main goal," he said.

He said one of the four roamed through the apartment and was "clearly"
interested in scrutinising his papers.

"Their slow, unhurried way of going about business was chilling," he added.

But he said Kenyans were the ultimate losers
when such crime occurred, and asked the
country to unite and fight the vice.

Ngugi said Kenyans must not forget the people
who fought for the freedom of Kenya, and asked
the gathering to dedicate a moment of silence
to remember freedom fighter Paul Ngei who died on Sunday.

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