Agripina Mulupi was forced to let go of her 'come-we-stay' husband after her spouse who had been missing for nearly two decades suddenly returned home.
42-year-old Boniface Moi Muyeshi showed up at his home in Lurambi, Kakamega County 17 years after he went missing.
Muyeshi left home for Nairobi in 2006 never to be seen again until August 2, 2023.
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Speaking to journalists at her homestead, Agripina said she was just seated at home when a tuk-tuk pulled over and to her surprise her husband in the company of an in-law alighted.
"Tulikua tumekaa asubui ya leo kitu saa tatu tukaona shemeji wanakuja na tuk tuk kuangalia huko kushuka tukaona ni huyo mzee wangu a huyo shemeji wanakuja," Agripina said.
She said she was happy to see her husband alive because their children thought they only had one parent.
"Kwa kweli tulikua na furaha. Watoto wake wamefurahia sababu walikua wamejua sisi hatuna baba, tuko tu na mama pekeake," she added.
Agripina noted that she thought her husband had died during the 2007/2008 post-election violence.
"Kwa kweli yenyewe wacha tuseme Mungu abaki kuitwa Mungu sababu ata mimi nilikua nimesahau nimesema huyo ameenda," she said.
5-year celibacy
Agripina lamented that she persevered for nearly five years after her husband went missing but a stubborn craving for a man couldn't allow her to stay single.
However, her efforts to remarry were frustrated by her in-laws and her mother.
"Nilikaa karibu miaka tano nikasema nimevumilia vya kutosha sitaweza. Na mamangu bado alikua ako hai, baba mukwe hai, mama ndogo ako. Sasa mama akawa wakali nikaskiako amri zao kidogo, walikua wananikataza wataki kuona mtu hapo kwa boma," she said.
She ultimately got a Rwandan man who became her 'come-we-stay' husband following the death of her mother who had strongly opposed her move to remarry or to even 'eat the forbidden fruit'.
"Mama alimaliza akagonjeka akakufa. Kukufa ukweli nilipata mtu. Huyo mtu hakukua Mkenya, huyo mtu alikua Mrwanda. Huyo mtu alikua ananisaidia kwa maisha yangu ata school fees anapeleka shule. Alikua naitwa John," she said.
Agripina further disclosed that she stayed with the Rwandan man and bore him one child.
"Nilimaliza nikapata na yeye mtoto mmoja," she said.
Let go
The Kakamega woman nonetheless was forced to let go of her Rwandan 'come-we-stay' husband following the return of her spouse 17 years later.
"Pia yeye sikumficha, nilikaa na yeye pole pole na nikamwambia si kwa ubaya sikufukuzi lakini mwenye boma amerudi lazima tutampatia heshima kwa sababu hii ni boma yake.
Agripina said she had to send away her Rwandan lover because she was staying with him in her husband's home.
"Kweli yenyewe huyo kijana aliskia akajipanga akatafuta nyumba yake sahi amekaa kwa nyumba yake," she added.
