Embarrassing scene as an elderly Mathira woman rolls on the ground wailing, pleading for money from President William Ruto disrupting his speech during the funeral service of Jack Reriani elder brother to DP Rigathi Gachagua
By Loise Wambugu
An embarrassing scene unfolded in Mathira, during the burial of Jackson Reriani Gachagua, elder brother to the Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua after a woman tried to reach out to President William Ruto when he was invited to address the mourners.
The woman who was dressed in yellow clothes caused a commotion for a few minutes as she wailed, and pleaded with the president to help her as she was facing many problems.
Attempts by the security personnel to calm her down and take her away from the podium did not bear fruits as she vowed not to leave until the President gave her a hearing.
Even after the president assured her that her problem would be addressed by the first lady Rachel Ruto, she continued to scream loudly leaving the President speechless.
It took the intervention of the CS nominee for Water Alice Wahome and Nyeri County Woman Representative Rahab Mukami, who convinced her to wait for the burial service to end and they would give her a chance to narrate her problems.
The lady who was identified as Lucy Wangui Gichohi said that she made the daring move as she felt that it was the only way she could get attention of the president.
“I heard from the radio that the Deputy President had lost a brother and I knew the President must attend so I decided to wait for the moment he would stand to address the crowd,” she said.
Wangui said the reason she was seeking the president’s attention is because she was in dire need of Sh 400,000 to enable her son who is a tout secure a job abroad, which would give him a monthly income of sh 70,000.
“My son who is a father of three has been facing a lot of problems in educating his three children with his touting job and my cousin has already secured him a job and he would be sending to me Sh 70,000 every month to cater for my needs and those of his children,” she said.
The woman said that she only earns Sh 10,000 for looking after an elderly woman and she assists in paying school fees for her son’s two daughters who are in high school.
After the commotion the woman was whisked away by the security officials and was told to wait for the county Woman representative who would listen to her woes and then deliver her message to the president.
