Martha Kasembi Mumbu Memorial Fund: Gone But Not Forgotten

On July 2, 1993, our beloved mother, Martha Kasembi Mumbu was tragically taken from us in a senseless act of violence. She was just 63 years old. This murder shook the entire village of Ndunguni in Kitui County, Kenya. The pain of how she was brutally murdered pierced through the hearts of so many and especially to her children. To this day that pain is as raw as if it happened yesterday.

To compound this pain, my mom was completely blind. She struggled through simple chores such as finding her way around the house and locating personal effects. I grew up watching my own mother suffer daily through life and this experience was itself deeply traumatizing. Despite her blindness, she gave birth to three beautiful daughters, and I was born last. My 3 elder sisters and myself in addition to our dad were her eyes and we took good care of her.

In a turn of events that altered the entire trajectory of our lives, by 1993, all my sisters had gotten married. I was in my last year of college about 300 miles away from my home town. My dad gave in to the pressures of life and married again. The new woman felt my mom was a threat to her and that’s how my mom was killed and maimed and hurriedly buried to the point that none of her children got any chance to attend her burial. I was informed about her passing a week after she had died and had already been buried. To this day, that has remained a painful unresolved murder in the county.

My mom was an extraordinary woman who faced life's challenges with unwavering strength and grace. Though she was blind, her spirit shone brightly, illuminating the lives of everyone she touched. She was a beacon of love, kindness, and resilience, teaching us the true meaning of perseverance.

In her loving memory and to ensure that that love will always overcome hate, we are creating this memorial fundraiser to honor her memory and ensure that her legacy lives on. All funds raised will be used to build a tombstone in her memory and to create an education fund for the physically challenged children within the village who need special education. No child with a disability in this village of 14,000 should ever be left behind. Let my mother’s blood not be in vain but through her suffering, let’s change posterity and alter history for many. As of now there are 11 known children with physical challenges in the village who might not achieve their potential due to their disabilities. This fund will upend their condition and set them up for success through special education and a support network. If this fund existed during my mom’s time, she would have had an aide, and this tragedy would have been averted. But she was alone and blind and hence this happened.

You may wonder why now after so many years. That’s a legitimate question. It's because after three decades of agonizing over why justice was not served, we have concluded that the best “revenge” on her behalf is to resurrect her legacy through charity. Her death was swept and buried under the proverbial rug, literally under the soil. By creating this memorial fund, her legacy will live on, and it will also ensure no one with a handicap in this village ever suffers this way. This light will be seen in the village and by extension to regions beyond as a testament that light ultimately overcomes darkness no matter how long it takes.

If this story touches your heart, please consider partnering with us in this cause to re-write history and open a new chapter. Thank you in advance for your kindness and generosity.

With love and gratitude,

Kavii Muneeni

Lenah Katumu

Rebecca Muthami(late)

Joseph Mumbu (myself)