I Was Coerced, Single Mother Who Rejected President Uhuru’s Sh2 Million House Says

A Nakuru single mother who rejected a house gifted to her family by President Kenyatta claims she did it under duress.

Damaris Wambui refused to move into the Sh2 million two-bedroom house in Bahati, Nakuru County in 2019, claiming it was poorly constructed. 

She accused Mr. Wanjohi, the official assigned by President Kenyatta to buy a plot and build her family a decent house, of doing shoddy work.

“This is a big joke. Look at this house. It has cracks on the outside and looks like a semi-permanent house while President Kenyatta in his wisdom meant well for us as a family. Why is that officer at State House playing tricks on me and my son? One day President Uhuru Kenyatta will know these tricks,” Damaris told the media in 2019.

“Mr. President wanted to leave a memorable mark in the life of my son and I don’t think he meant such shoddy work.”

President Uhuru decided to build a decent home for Wambui’s family after her son Dennis Ngaruiya entertained him during a military function in Nakuru in 2014.

Ngaruiya cracked President Kenyatta’s ribs with a thrilling poem during the Kenya Defense Forces (KDF) Day celebrations at the Lanet military barracks. The president also pledged to pay Ngaruiya’s full school fees, and find his mother a decent job.

Wambui, who still lives in a rented mud house, now claims she was coerced by some unknown people to turn down President Kenyatta’s gift

“Immediately after locating the house, I started receiving phone calls from unknown people who forced me to reject the house. They threatened to kill me and my entire family, so I gave in and came up with reasons to reject it,” Wambui told Nation.

The widow further says that even after heeding their demands, unknown people tried to kidnap her after waylaying her on the road. She reported the incident to Nakuru Central police station under Occurrence Book number 44/03/2019.

“It was on March 5th, 2019, when some three people came to my house to spy on me. They never uttered a word, so I left for the church. They, however, followed me and tried to force me into their vehicle, prompting me to scream for help,” she said.

“I went to stay with my sister for some time before I moved out of the house. My son was at the time a candidate preparing to sit his final KCSE paper.” 

Wambui says life has been unbearable since she rejected the house, adding that she was isolated by friends and neighbors. Her son Ngaruiya has been at home since sitting his KCSE exam in 2019.

“I am not worried about the house nor the job they had promised. I am only concerned about my son’s future. Just look at him, who is going to take him for any hard labor or manual job? I wish they could just allow him to finish his studies,” said Wambui.

Wambui says when she called Wanjohi, she was informed that the President had withdrawn the sponsorship. 

Ngaruiya, who is now 19 years old, says he has spent the last two years indoors composing poems, adding that the experience has caused the family a lot of suffering.

“Sometimes I regret reciting the poem for the President… I thought things would have been so good and easy, but it turned out so complicated and painful to me and my mother.”

“He wished us well, but the people he entrusted with fulfilling his promises created confusion. All I want him to know is that I never joined college as he had promised and have been at home with my mother struggling in life,” the teenager said.

The house built on a quarter-acre in Murunyu area was later handed over to another family, which had three disabled children.