Lamu woman believed to be Kenya’s oldest granny dies at 120
One of Lamu’s and Kenya’s oldest grandmothers has passed away at 120 years.
Leah Wangui Gitau died peacefully in her sleep at her home in Umoja Village, Mpeketoni, Lamu West, on Sunday night.
Ms Gitau’s national identity card (ID) shows that she was born on January 1, 1902.
Ms Gitau is a mother of 16 children, including 14 daughters and two sons.
Her firstborn child, Isaac Ngugi, is 90 years old while her last-born, Esther Nyagicuhi Kurua, is 65, according to their respective ID cards.
Nine of Ms Gitau’s children have died.
Ms Kurua, who was her mother’s caretaker, confirmed her mother’s death on Monday, adding that the centenarian had not been sick and that her death was natural.
“It’s sad to confirm that our mother died on Sunday night aged 120 years. Her body is at the Mpeketoni Sub-County Hospital mortuary. Our mother wasn’t sick,” she said.
“Recently, we observed she was too sleepy and her appetite had reduced. She was a strong woman. We thank
God for all the years He enabled us to stay and enjoy life with our mother.”
She added: “Our mother maintained a traditional diet during her lifetime. I believe that is key to her long lifespan. We used to feed her traditional foods like ngwashe (sweet potato fries) and vegetables, and ensured she ate meat and vegetable soup.
“It did wonders as our mother’s health was okay until her death on Sunday.”
Mr Ngugi thanked God for bringing her mother that far despite today’s challenges, including the Covid-19 pandemic.
He advised younger people to fear God and embrace a natural diet for a better living.
He stressed that his mother, a businessperson who used to sell vegetables at the Mpeketoni municipal market, led a stress-free life.
“My mother was peaceful with everyone. We should love one another and avoid stress,” he said.
Isaac Mukinya, a grandson of Ms Gitau, described his grandmother as the pillar of the family and the glue that has kept them together all those years.
“Being 120 years old isn’t a joke. It’s a blessing that we ought to continue celebrating even at this time our grandmother has departed,” he said.
“Our centenarians played a huge role in our family and society. She is like gold to us. May she rest in peace.”
Emmanuel Wanyoike Kimwa, a neighbour, said it was encouraging to see people living past 100 years.
Mr Kimwa also cited the love of God and a clean heart that Ms Gitau always portrayed as part of her secret to a long life.
“We need to celebrate her from time to time even if she has died. We are proud as the Umoja Village community for having a centenarian,” he said.
“She has played an important role in society. She used to share her indigenous knowledge on how we should live in our current times and that has benefited us a lot.”
Apart from her seven living children, Ms Gitau also leaves behind 63 grandchildren, 250 great-grandchildren, 184 great-great-grandchildren and 45 great-great-great-grandchildren, according to the family records Nation.Africa has seen. BY DAILY NATION
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