NAIROBI, Kenya — The family of slain psychiatrist and researcher Dr Victoria Nthunya Mutiso has publicly forgiven those responsible for her killing, saying they will leave justice and vengeance in God’s hands as they prepare to lay her to rest.
Dr Mutiso’s body was received at CITAM Valley Road Church in Nairobi on Thursday for a memorial service attended by family, friends, colleagues and members of the medical fraternity, who gathered to celebrate her life while mourning her tragic death.
In an emotional tribute, her husband, Prof. David Musyimi Ndetei, described Dr Mutiso as his soulmate, the mother of their two children and the pillar of their family.
Although devastated by her killing, Prof. Ndetei said he had chosen the path of forgiveness.
“I just want to obey God’s will and forgive the killers. God will avenge for us,” he told mourners.
The couple’s children, Dr Christine Musyimi and David Ndetei Jnr, shared heartfelt memories of their mother, recounting the final moments before her death and the profound void she has left in their lives.
“I remember on the 29th of July she called me, and I knew kuna muchene anataka kunipea. I went to my car so that I could call her, but she didn’t pick. I kept trying, but still nothing. I started getting worried and raised an alarm,” Dr Musyimi recalled.
Her brother, David Ndetei Jnr, described his mother’s death as a life-changing loss.
“She left behind a world full of chaos. On the evening she passed, the moon was the brightest it has ever been in my entire life. This is going to be the hardest pill to swallow,” he said.
Her niece, Susan Ndunda, remembered Dr Mutiso as a loving and selfless aunt who embraced her extended family as her own.
“Aunty mum, you were not just an aunt to us, but you treated us like your own children,” she said.
A close friend of the deceased, Ann Mutheu, revealed that Dr Mutiso had confided in her weeks before her death, saying she believed she had narrowly survived an earlier attempt on her life.
“I was just scrolling through my phone, and I realised that the last time we spoke was on the 14th of July, and she told me, ‘Kalondu, imagine I have just survived another gunshot attempt,'” Mutheu told mourners.
Dr Mutiso was fatally shot in Nairobi’s Upper Hill while travelling in a taxi to work on July 29.
Detectives investigating the killing have since arrested four suspects, with investigators probing whether alleged land and property disputes may have been linked to the murder.
Throughout the memorial service, speakers described Dr Mutiso as a humble, compassionate and deeply faithful woman who dedicated her life to mental health, education and serving others.
She will be laid to rest on Friday at her home in Wanzauni, Mbooni, Makueni County.
As family members and friends bid farewell, they said the greatest tribute to her life would be ensuring that those responsible for her killing are brought to justice through the legal process.
