An 86-year-old grandmother from Kongo-ini village in Kiharu, Murang’a County, is once again in the spotlight after revealing that she has lost 12 family members — including eight of her children — to alcohol-related causes.
Grace Wahu, whose story first drew national attention last year when then–Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua visited her home, says her family continues to be ravaged by alcohol abuse, with four more deaths recorded in the past two years, the most recent being her grandson.
“It’s very sad to see the children I raised to adulthood die one after another. I was hoping they would look after me in my old age,” said a tearful Wahu.
The grieving mother described her anguish at waking up each day to the sight of 12 graves in her compound, a constant reminder of her loss. She says she is struggling emotionally and financially, as her late children once supported her with food and medication for high blood pressure and diabetes.
Wahu lamented that the community has distanced itself, viewing her family as cursed. “Nobody comes to check on me anymore. When my daughter leaves to find work, I’m left completely alone,” she said.
Her daughter, Margaret Wairimu, who recently lost her son, echoed her mother’s distress. “We live in fear, not knowing who might be next,” she said, adding that many have advised them to consult a traditional seer, but the family has chosen to rely on prayer instead.
Wahu urged the government to intensify efforts to combat alcoholism, calling it a national crisis destroying families and robbing young people of their futures.
“The government must do more to eradicate alcohol abuse. It has destroyed our youth and torn families apart,” she said.
The heartbreaking story of Grace Wahu underscores the devastating social and emotional toll of alcoholism in Kenya’s rural communities, where addiction continues to claim lives and leave families in despair.
