The phrase 'hell has no fury like a woman scorned' arose from a 1967 play by English playwright William Congreve and has been used over the years to depict the lengths a woman can go after facing rejection.
For Peterson Githinji, he did not anticipate that the woman he once loved could be the reason for his downfall as he now serves a life sentence at GK Prison in Nyeri.
While narrating his experience at Inooro TV, Githinji, a chairman of the Boda Boda association in Nyeri, detailed that he was born and bred in Karatina and occasionally worked in Nairobi as a tout.
For Githinji, he aspired to provide a better life for his loving wife and children. However, a chance encounter with his ex-girlfriend proved to be his ultimate downfall.
The former lovebirds, who began their relationship in high school, broke up in 2009.
"In 2020, I was ferrying people in Karatina and during one of my trips, I stumbled upon my ex-girlfriend and we exchanged pleasantries. I took her home and we exchanged contacts," Githinji indicated, noting that the meeting rekindled some of the feelings they shared.
According to Githinji, she became a frequent client and within the fourth trip, his former girlfriend decided to open her heart to him.
"She informed me that she got married but it ended and she was thrown out with her three kids," he pointed out.
"I told her to take heart and God will see her through. She invited me to the house to greet the kids and I decided to oblige as a form of courtesy."
Githinji acknowledged that they shared a great time with the children and after dining with them, he left and went home.
As the camaraderie mounted, Githinji's ex sought for the duo to become an item again. "A while later, after dropping her off at home on a particular Thursday, she sought us to get back together again and become a family. I informed her that it was impossible as I already had a family of my own."
"Appalled by the news, she held her heart and stated that I would live to regret. As I went home that day, I was stressed as those words left a resounding mark in my mind."
Githinji decided to visit his former lover to enquire more about what she meant and found her youngest daughter at the house. Upon contacting her, the former lover urged the boda boda rider to stay at home as she would resume shortly.
Thereafter, his smile turned into suspicion after two men arrived at the door seeking his whereabouts.
"The two men arrived and introduced themselves as the area chief and a police officer. They forced me into the house and took my photos. They asked why I had taken hostage her three children the last time I was at her home."
"I asked them if I had done those actions, why would I come back to the same place again?" The chief instructed that I be taken into custody and answer the claims. I maintained my innocence. The officers demanded Ksh300,000 for the case to be closed, which I didn't have."
Githinji claimed that his former lover was hellbent on destroying his life, with the charges levelled including performing indecent acts against her children. He also alleged that she was well-connected to ensure that the charges would stick.
"During the court proceedings, the judge explained the events; whereby the eldest child was meant to go to the shop to buy bread and milk but she stayed and the youngest instead went. At the time, I showed her videos from my phone of the pandemic. It is speculated that I touched her inappropriately and defiled her children at that time. I received a life sentence to serve as a lesson to other perpetrators, which was astonishing as I had not committed the said crime."
Githinji hopes for justice to be served as he urged the public to aid him in his appeal.
