'God will avenge for us': Dr. Victoria Mutiso's family forgives her killers

The body of slain psychiatrist Dr. Victoria Nthunya Mutiso was received at CITAM Valley Road Church in Nairobi on Thursday for a memorial service attended by family, friends and colleagues who gathered to celebrate her life while mourning her tragic death.

Emotions ran high as her husband, Prof. David Musyimi Ndetei, paid tribute to the woman he described as his soulmate, the mother of their two children and the pillar of their family.

Although devastated by her killing, Prof. Ndetei told mourners he had chosen forgiveness, saying he would leave vengeance to God.

"I just want to obey God's will and forgive the killers. God will avenge for us..." said Prof Ndetei.

The couple's children, Dr. Christine Musyimi and David Ndetei Jnr, delivered emotional tributes, recalling their final moments with their mother and the pain her death has left behind.

"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," said Dr. Musyimi.

"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..." added Ndetei Jnr.

Her niece, Susan Ndunda, remembered Dr. Mutiso as a caring aunt who treated her extended family like her own children.

"Aunty mum, you were not just an aunty to us but treated us like your own children," Ndunda said.

A close friend of the deceased, Ann Mutheu, revealed that Dr. Mutiso had confided in her just weeks before her death, saying she had survived what she believed was another 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’," said Mutheu.

Dr. Mutiso was fatally shot in Nairobi's Upper Hill while travelling in a taxi to work. Detectives have since arrested four suspects as investigations continue, with alleged land and property disputes emerging as a possible motive.

She will be laid to rest on Friday at her home in Wanzauni, Mbooni, Makueni County.

Much was said about Dr. Victoria Nthunya Mutiso's humility, compassion, unwavering faith and commitment to education.

As family and friends prepare to lay her to rest, they say the greatest tribute to her life will be ensuring that those behind her killing are brought to justice.