At the age of 120, one of Lamu’s and Kenya’s oldest grandmothers has died.
On Sunday night, Leah Wangui Gitau died peacefully in her sleep at her house in Umoja Village, Mpeketoni, Lamu West.
Wangui was born on January 1, 1902, according to her national identity card.
She was the mother of sixteen children, fourteen daughters and two sons.
According to their respective ID cards, her firstborn, Isaac Ngugi is 90-years-old and her lastborn, Esther Nyagicuhi Kurua is 65 years old.
Out of the sixteen children, nine children died are seven are still alive. 63 grandchildren, 250 great grandchildren, 184 great-great grandchildren and 45 great- great-great-grandchildren.
Kurua, her mother’s caretaker, confirmed her death on Monday saying she was not unwell and died naturally.
“It’s sad to confirm that our mother died on Sunday night aged 120 years. Her body is at the Mpeketoni Sub- County Hospital mortuary. Our mother wasn’t sick,” she said.
Kurua further stated that the mother had lost appetite and was too sleepy she was however strong for a woman her age.
“Our mother maintained a traditional diet during her lifetime. I believe that is key to belong lifespan. We used to feed her (sweet potatoes and vegetables) and ensured she had soup,” she said.
