Milka Wambura Itundu and her two siblings contracted a deadly disease that mainly affected their toes.
A Catholic nun came over and washed them affectionately, unafraid she would be infected.
“On learning about our plight Mwari (Kikuyu word for sister) Irene visited and treated us affectionately without fearing she would catch the disease. She washed us with some medicines and that night I could not sleep because of the pain. She even visited us days later to ensure we got totally healed. That is how she saved this big toe,” the granny said, pointing at the toe with her walking stick.
Wambura, now aged 105, who lives in Karia village in Mukurwe-ini, Nyeri county, is the only living credible witness of the Italian nun, Blessed Sr Irene Stefani.
The Catholic world celebrated Blessed Stefani’s day on Tuesday.
Wambura paints Sr Stefani as having been of unmatched kindness to all irrespective of their religious affiliations, stressing that although she (Wambura) was and still is an AIPCA member, Nyaatha attended to her and siblings.
“That’s why she was nicknamed Nyina wa Tha (or Nyaatha, mother of mercy). She loved and cared for everybody. I used to take traditional vegetables to nuns at Gikondi Catholic Church but not even once did I find her there as she was always away in villages attending to the sick,” the centenarian said.
Wambura is among several witnesses whose evidence concerning Sr Stefani was recorded by Rome ahead of Stefani’s beatification eight years ago. The other witnesses, who have since passed on, are John Baiye who died months after Nyaatha was beatified, Catherine Wangari, Emma Wangechi and lately Elizabeth Muthoni Nyaga.
Sr Stefani was beatified on May 23, 2015 in Mathari, Nyeri, in a colourful ceremony presided over by Cardinal Polycarp Pengo of Dar es Salaam on behalf of Pope Francis.
The beatification was held at Gikondi Catholic Parish where Nyaatha served last before succumbing to bubonic plague that she contracted from a patient she was attending to
Wambura composed a song in her honour that awed the Catholic faithful from all over the world at the occasion.
Surprisingly, she effortlessly sang the same song when being interviewed by KNA despite being eight years older.
The jovial granny asked the Nyeri county and national governments to consider establishing a modern hospital in Gikondi in honour of Sr Irene Stefani, emphasising that a health facility would best the best way to keep her memories alive.
“Sister Nyaatha was so committed to assisting the sick that she paid with her life. A hospital should be put up in her remembrance,” she said.
Residents were travelling long distances to seek quality medical services as there was no hospital in Gikondi division.
Her son Kamau Itundu, a retired teacher, said Wambura is religious, peace loving, generous and always jovial and has never been hospitalised.
“In fact, her favourite food is Githeri. She also likes watching Kumkum Bhagya, an Indian soap opera that focuses on family and love, and Kundali Baghagya to the extent she can’t go to sleep without watching the two TV programmes."