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Brenda Akeya Kurt, 45, clings to a small urn which contains the 'body' of her late husband, a Swiss national who died in March last year at their house in Watamu, Kilifi County.
The woman from Kakamega County but now a resident of Watamu has been living in mortal fear since the death of Samuel Kurt Donze who hailed from Zurich, Switzerland. Indeed when we met Akeya in the streets of Watamu town, she was in tears, having been evicted from her house by a man who claimed to have purchased the house from Kurt.
"They also want to snatch this from me. They have even offered me money in exchange of the ashes but I will only hand them over to Kurt's children in Switzerland," Akeya told us, her eyes darting in fear.
Akeya is now crying for justice following what she calls a conspiracy to dispossess her of a one storey house in Watamu town where she lived with her Mzungu pensioner husband for 22 years until Kurt, who was suffering from Alzheimer's disease, succumbed to cardiopulmonary arrest in Match last year. He was 81. His body cremated at a ceremony attended by Akeya and another Swiss national who was a friend of the deceased.
Blinded by love, Kurt in 2006 travelled hundreds of kilometres away to Akeya's rural home where the two lovebirds were wedded in a traditional Tiriki ceremony amid copious quantities of traditional beer. It was at this ceremony that Kurt was also made a Tiriki elder. Akeya says that Kurt also introduced her to his three children in Switzerland who would occasionally visit Watamu.
"They knew me as his wife and their stepmother. He took all the responsibilities of taking care of my children including paying their school fees. We were even planning to fly to Zurich for another wedding but he fell sick," says Akeya.
The widow us a letter from African Divine Church in Watamu signed by Reverent Zablon Ilagosa Mang'ong'o which indicates Kurt introduced her in the church as his wife in May 1996 where the two were regular worshipers.
But she claims that soon after her husband's cremation, the other Swiss national started demanding for the ashes ostensibly to send them to Kurt's family in Switzerland. At the same time, another man emerged claiming ownership of the house and gave her a three day notice to vacate.
When the man finally evicted her, Akeya fled to Malindi Police Station and reported the matter. The man was ordered to rent another house for her as police investigated the dispute. The police have however been unwilling to disclose what became of the case. Malindi OCPD Matawa Mchangi directed us to a Mr Mchuma whom he said was investigating the matter.
Mr Mchuma however claimed he was not aware of the case.
"I'm not aware of such a case. I will find out and get back to you. However any case involving a Mzungu is handled by the tourist police," Mchuma claimed.
Akeya is however not about to let go of the small brown urn that contains the ashes of her Swiss husband. She says she can only hand over the ashes to Kurt's children.
"But they will have to buy me a house and ensure my children go to school because that was the wish of their father. As we talk all of them have dropped out of school due to lack of fees," she says.
