She claimed that her mother, while drunk, once beat her up into a pulp when she was 16-years-old and almost drove her to commit suicide.
“Dad alikua na bibi wawili,mum alikua anakunywa pombe sana,na walikuwa wanakunywa wawili, sasa wakikunywa wawili waliendelea na kupigana, nikiwa na miaka 7 miaka 9 mum alikua anatoroka anaenda kwao anaiachia watoto sita, mpaka hao watoto mimi nilikua nawatake care.” She disclosed.
On how she met Matheri, she said he frequented a cloth shop she used to run and for a while did not know that she was also a thief and when he invited her over to his house, she never looked back and stayed with him.
“Nikiwa na duka kuna customer alikua anakuja kwa ile duka yangu na huyo moja akaniambia ningetaka tupitie kwangu, tulipoenda sikurudi kwa ile nyumba.”
When Matheri was eventually gunned down in 1997, Wanjiku said his death turned her world upside down. She was distraught and suicidal.
Two years later she was arrested and jailed on charges that she stole Sh196 million in Meru but was released in 2002 in Embu after serving her time. Tired of the life in crime, she decided to change her life lest she end up like Matheri.
“Ndio nikakuja Kiserian kama sijui mahali naenda, nikakomboa mahali pa kukaa kwanza, na kukomboa mungu akanizaidia, chaplain Wanjira naye akanishika mkono tukaanza kuubiri magerezani na yeye,” explained Wanjiku.
