African Woman and Child Feature Service

Ann Muthoni, 38 ponders her next move at Kiandere Village in Nyeri Municipality.  She has lived here since fleeing her home in Rumuruti, Laikipia West following the post election violence early last year.  She is also HIV positive and depressed.

As fate would have it, she has struggled with HIV/AIDS virus for 10 years but the displacement is like the straw that broke the camel’s back and she is considering throwing in the towel altogether and turn her back on the struggle.

She is dealing with beginning life afresh, even as she fights to regain her health after paralysis set in on one side of her body.  She is frustrated by the disruption the displacement has imposed on her and she must also deal with stigma in her temporary settlement.

The mother of four has passed through many tribulations in the last eight years after her husband divorced her on allegations that she was practicing witchcraft. He later died from the complications of AIDS. Muthoni was sent away from her matrimonial home and lived as a single mother before the displacement.

Muthoni, who is she is hosted by relatives in Kiandere, was referred to the Kenya Network of Women with HIV/AIDS (Kenwa) located 15 kilometres away in Nyeri town. They have provided her with food, drugs and counseling.

Kenwa referred her to Nyeri Provincial General Hospital where she has been receiving free drugs and counseling to date.

Her friends took her four children to other relatives 80 kilometres away in Kiharu division, Murang’a district when she could no longer provide food or school fees for them.
Her first born Jane Kiragu, 17 is one of the brightest students at Kabare Secondary School in Form IV while last born Duncan Kibe, 8 is in Standard Two.  Both are dependent on bursary funds.

She is adamant about not returning home because she feels insecure. Muthoni feels that the yet to be constituted Truth, Justice and Reconciliation Commission should address the issue of land, tribalism, inequalities between the rich and poor to avoid repetitive violence.

She is also demanding that the government compensate her before she can pick up the broken threads in her life and regain her livelihood. To this end she is willing to give up the land in Rumuruti for a piece of similar acreage in Nyeri south district. 

Kenya Red Cross Society Nyeri branch chairman David Mwangi confirmed that his organisation received about 80 women who were HIV positive. There were also eight men and four children who were found to be HIV positive. They were later referred to Nyeri Provincial General Hospital.

Kenwa Nyeri branch coordinator, Francis Muiruri said over 200 women passed through his office seeking assistance after the violence.  They needed ARVs to continue with their dose adherence as well as further counseling.

Currently the association caters for about 40 women who are HIV positive and an IDP. Seven children were referred to Nyeri Provincial General Hospital while several of them were given bus fare back home to Kitale in Western Kenya after they agreed to return home.