JOYOUS AND SAD: Woman Buried In A Gown Days Before Her Wedding
After 16 years of living together, an elderly couple in Kayole, Nairobi, decided to marry last December.
Stanley Macharia and Nancy Muthoni married under customary law in 1998, and they have two children.
However, as they grew older together and became more involved in their church, the couple decided to make their marriage official in a Christian ceremony.
That decision was made on December 17 of last year, during the dissolution of a committee that assisted in organizing another couple’s marriage at ACK Pumwani Church in Nairobi.
The committee decided to take on the new responsibility of organising the couple’s wedding, which was set for August 17 at the same church.
The plans were so extensive that the bridal party numbered more than 50 people. Muthoni, 57, worked at the Uhuru market, and Macharia is a trader in the Gikomba market.
But things changed dramatically on July 27, 2024, when Muthoni became ill and was treated at a local health facility before being discharged.
Muthoni’s condition worsened, and she was transferred to another facility before being referred to Kenyatta National Hospital on August 4, where she was admitted.
The admission shocked family members who had been counting down the days until the wedding. She was diagnosed with pneumonia.
Muthoni died two days later, on August 6, leaving her family in disarray as wedding preparations neared completion.
But Macharia, determined to give her the wedding she had been hoping for, decided to make their wedding day a burial ceremony.
On Saturday, the bridal party arrived at Macharia’s local church, ACK Gikoe in Mathioya, dressed in their wedding attire.
Meanwhile, Muthoni was dressed in her wedding gown, complete with veil and bridal makeup.
Attendees at the church were in a solemn mood as they watched the colorfully dressed bridal party enter and slowly dance to gospel wedding songs.
Muthoni’s casket was placed in front of the church, covered in Mothers’ Union clothing.
They celebrated and danced before mourning her passing, praising her as a dedicated mother, wife, and community member who helped shape many people into good Christians.
Macharia, Muthoni’s Husband Speaks
Macharia stated that his wife longed for the wedding and that it was unfortunate that she did not live to see it.
“I still wanted to make her dream come true and am happy wherever she is, she’s happy that the wedding has still happened,” he said in his tribute.
“When we started planning for this day, we thought we were planning for a wedding but God had other plans.”
Macharia stated that with the wedding attire ready, it would have been a waste not to provide his wife with the wedding that she had worked so hard to plan.
“I wanted to give her the satisfaction of a wedding and am happy it has been accomplished. Her soul is happy”.
The Best Man’s Influence
John Ng’ang’a, the couple’s best man, stated that it was decided to organize a wedding for Macharia and Muthoni after his own wedding in December of last year.
“I was the vice chairperson of the wedding committee and then became the chairperson of the funeral committee after she passed on”.
“Our plans were to have a mega wedding and it was shocking when she died just days to it”.
Fellow Women Recall Their Friendship
Muthoni’s friend and neighbour, Lucy Wanjiru, said they raised their children together and formed a sisterhood.
Muthoni, she said, was a progressive woman who was always available to help when she needed it.
“When I got the news, to say that I was shocked would be an understatement. Our friendship spanned over 25 years,” she said.
Several groups that had planned to perform at her wedding participated in the burial ceremony.
Mourners laid her to rest in her husband’s maternal home, saying it was God’s will and comforting her family.
JOYOUS AND SAD: Woman Buried In A Gown Days Before Her Wedding
