GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE: Another Woman Burned Days After Olympian’s Death, Partner On The Run
The rising tide of gender-based violence has claimed another victim in Kenya, with a chilling new case emerging just days after Ugandan Olympian Rebecca Cheptegei died from burn injuries allegedly caused by her partner.
Nelly Wanjiku, a 29-year-old woman from Kiambu County, is currently suffering from severe burns after her boyfriend poured boiling water on her face, a violent act that has left her traumatized and fighting for recovery.
Wanjiku’s ordeal began on the night of August 29, 2024, when her partner, whose name we have chosen to withhold, launched a brutal attack that shocked the community.
According to Nelly, the incident happened during what appeared to be a routine evening.
Hot-tempered Lover On The Run:
— NTV Kenya (@ntvkenya) September 11, 2024
A woman in Kiambu narrates how her partner allegedly poured hot water on her face.
Nelly Wanjiku says "he wanted us to move in but I was not ready. Nikamsaidia na transportation…"#NTVTonight @zeynabIsmail @NginaKirori pic.twitter.com/Ou6MCqGdsq
Her partner complained of hunger, and as she prepared food for him, he turned on her with terrifying cruelty.
“He said he was hungry. I started warming his food. But before I was done, he said he was thirsty and started warming water to drink,” Wanjiku recalled, still visibly shaken by the memory.
“Before I knew it, he was facing me with the kettle open, and suddenly, he poured the boiling water on me.”
The attack escalated quickly, and as her skin burned, Nelly’s maternal instincts took over. She immediately ran to her baby’s nanny and begged her to take the child and flee the house.
“I told her to take my daughter and run away. He wasn’t finished with me yet,” she narrated.
When left alone with her attacker, Wanjiku described the horror of being pursued by the boyfriend, his hands in his pockets and expression cold and emotionless.
“It felt like a horror movie. He was tormenting me, just following me. I had no idea what he would do next,” she recounted.
Neighbors, alerted by her screams, rushed her to the hospital, where she is being treated for burns sustained during the attack.
However, her assailant took advantage of the chaos to flee the scene and is still on the run.
Police are actively looking for him, and the public has been asked to share any information that could lead to his capture.
Wanjiku has experienced excruciating physical pain, but the emotional scars are even deeper.
She believes the attack was motivated by her decision to prioritize her career over her boyfriend’s desire to move in together.
“He wanted us to live together, but I wasn’t ready, and neither was he,” she explained.
“I helped him set up a business, but I needed to focus on growing my career. That’s when things started falling apart.”
The boyfriend’s whereabouts remain unknown, and Wanjiku has expressed deep concern that her attacker is still at large.
“Every time I felt pain, I prayed for justice, that this suffering would not be in vain, that he would be caught,” she asserted.
The police report was filed at the local police station under OB number 03/29/08/2024, and authorities are urging anyone with information about his whereabouts to come forward.
As Nelly fights to heal physically and emotionally, she joins a growing number of Kenyan women whose lives have been irreparably harmed by gender-based violence.
“Today, I can see that God has helped me a lot. I’m beginning to feel like myself again, but I know this journey is far from over,” she shared.
GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE: Another Woman Burned Days After Olympian’s Death, Partner On The Run
