- Lydia Omumea's marriage reportedly collapsed after her househelp allegedly grew too close to her husband, leaving her to care for their cancer-stricken son alone
- When her son died at Mbagathi Hospital, Lydia could not reach his father or relatives for support, with one aunt allegedly sending KSh 200 before cutting contact
- The Kibra resident and her sister booked seats on a public bus to ferry the boy's body home, unable to afford private transport or even a coffin
A Nairobi mother has opened up about one of the most painful experiences of her life: transporting her young son's body to their rural home in a public matatu after his death, because she could not afford private transport and received almost no help from her estranged husband or his family.
Source: Original
Lydia Omumea, who lives in Kibra and earns a living washing clothes and utensils for neighbours, told her story with raw honesty.
"For now, I wash people's clothes and utensils. If someone needs me to peel potatoes for them, I do that too," she said.
Lydia dropped out of school in Grade 8 after losing her parents and eventually found hotel work while living with her elderly grandmother.
Search option is now available at TUKO! Feel free to search the content on topics/people you enjoy reading about in the top right corner ;)
It was there she met the man she married in 2015, and the couple later settled in Donholm, Nairobi, where he worked as a car salesman and helped her start a shoe business.
Their lives shifted dramatically when their son was diagnosed with blood cancer at age five. Lydia hired a Ugandan househelp on a friend's recommendation to assist with the boy's care while she worked.
Before long, she says the woman stopped following instructions, including repeatedly failing to pick her son up from school.
Lydia recalled coming home early one day to investigate and finding the house help with her husband. On a separate occasion, she allegedly found the two together in the bedroom.
Her husband reportedly became increasingly distant after that, eventually stopping financial contributions towards their son's medical care. "When I told him our son needed to go to the hospital, he would say he had no money or ask me to wait until the following week," she recalled.
By 2025, the marriage had ended. Lydia closed her shoe shop, sold household items to cover hospital costs, and moved to Kibra with her sister.
Source: Original
How Lydia lost her son to cancer took body home in matatu
When the boy fell critically ill again, he was admitted to Mbagathi Hospital. Lydia's sister accompanied him while Lydia stayed home with her youngest child.
One Thursday evening, after the sisters had finished supper, the call came. The boy had died.
"I hadn't expected something like that to happen," Lydia said.
She tried contacting her son's father and his relatives for help. His aunt allegedly sent KSh 200 and told her not to call again. Neighbours and a doctor stepped in to assist with the hospital expenses.
With no money left and no private vehicle available, Lydia and her sister booked three seats on a Country Bus. Her sister carried the boy's body, wrapped in a shawl, throughout the journey.
The driver and conductor, moved by their situation, refunded their fare and added extra money to help them reach home.
"My sister told me to persevere because we had no other way," Lydia said. "My sister has never let go of me."
When they arrived, a small gathering of neighbours and relatives helped wash the boy and buried him in the same shawl, as the family could not afford a coffin.
"We had used all the money at the hospital," Lydia said quietly.
Subscribe to watch new videos
Source: TUKO.co.ke