Recovered Kiambu alcoholic weds wife after one year in coma

Stephen Njoroge and his sweetheart Margaret Wambui,50, from Riabai,Kiambu when they took their vows at the St. Peter and Paul Catholic church,in Kirigiti,Kiambu. PHOTO.FIDELIS KABUNYI

A man who was in a coma for one year has finally wedded his lover. Stephen Njoroge, 52, tied the knot with Margaret Wambui, 50, at a colourful ceremony at St Peter and Paul Catholic Church in Kirigiti, Kiambu last Saturday.

Njoroge, who was an alcoholic, was hit by a speeding vehicle when crossing the busy Kiambu road in December 2014. He was rushed to Kenyatta National Hospital, where he spent a year at the Intensive Care Unit.

There were tears of joy as Wambui exchanged marriage vows with Njoroge, who now uses a walking stick to support himself.

Njoroge, who had abandoned church, spoke for the first time on the morning of December 10, last year and said he wanted to make peace with his God.

Wambui, a casual labourer, said she had never imagined having a church wedding with her husband sober. "For 26 years, I have never been happy. I got married at the age of 16 and as soon I had my first baby, my husband turned out to be an alcoholic. I have never experienced peace or happiness in my marriage," she said.

Njoroge's mother Veronica Nduta, who could not hide her joy, said God had given her son a second chance in life.

"I have prayed for him for years and this day, God has answered my prayers. My son was a humble boy, but is the only one who had drinking problems among his siblings," she said.

Njoroge, who looked frail and sickly, said he regrets having turned an alcoholic and called on the youth to desist from excessive drinking.

John Njoroge, his first born son said: "My dad was never there for us. My mum struggled single-handedly to provide and pay fees for us. We just reached Form Four and if only my dad was not a drunkard, we all could have gone to institutions of higher learning. But I thank God for giving my father an opportunity to reflect and change his ways," he said.