Social media personality Wanja Nyarari has been thrown into mourning following the death of her mother figure, Nancy Wanjiku Wanja. Wanja Nyarari announced the death of her ‘mother’ after battling illness for decades. Photo: Wanja Nyarari. Source: Facebook Wanja announced the heartbreaking news on Wednesday, January 14, explaining that she passed away after a long battle with illness. According to Wanja, Wanjiku breathed her last at around 11.30 am. Wanja was raised by Wanjiku, her sister, after her mother passed away while they were still young. What happened to Wanja Nyarari’s ‘mother’? Sharing her grief online, Wanja disclosed that Wanjiku had been unwell for decades and had fought bronchitis for 42 years.
She noted that Wanjiku had been receiving medical care before her condition deteriorated. Wanja explained that for the past three years, she had been taking care of her at home while she was on oxygen support. When her condition worsened, she was placed on life support as doctors from the Kenyatta National Hospital Prime Care Centre tried to stabilise her. What were Wanjiku’s final days like? She also opened up about Wanjiku’s wishes during her most difficult moments, explaining that she had asked for privacy and did not want visitors to see her while she was suffering. “Today, God rested her from pain and turmoil. Her life was private. Her battles were private. Behind every smile you see, real wars are fought silently. She made one clear request: she did not want visitors. Only three close friends. She did not want anybody to see her suffer,” Wanja shared.
She added that honouring her wishes came at a cost, as it led to misunderstandings and backlash from some family members. “When someone is sick, you go by the wish, dignity and privacy of the patient,” she explained. Wanja further revealed how the illness completely altered her life. She explained that Wanjiku refused to relocate to her city home and insisted on remaining at their rural home in Kangemi, forcing Wanja to adjust her lifestyle to care for her. “Her sickness rearranged my life completely. She refused to move with me to our farm and insisted on remaining at our rural home in Kangemi. To make her comfortable and to care for her properly, I had to build a house there,” Wanja explained. She relocated to Kangemi with her children for the last three years, while her Gen Z son remained behind to look after their other home, a separation she described as deeply painful for the family. Wanja Nyarari opened up about how she cared for her ‘mother’ before she passed away.
How did Wanja mourn her Wanjiku? In her tribute, Wanja reflected on the close bond she shared with Wanjiku, being the woman who raised her, crediting her and their late grandmother for shaping her into the woman she is today. “My story with her began the moment I was born. From that first breath, she became officially my mother, while my grandmother became my father. Those two great women raised me, carried me and made me who I am today,” she wrote. Wanja described her as a strong and dignified woman who fought her battles silently until the very end. “Today, I thank God. I did my part. I know I did my best. Rest now, Mum, my iron lady. I know granny will ask you, ‘Where have you left the child?’ But I know your pain is now over,” she concluded.
By DanVictor Munene
