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A Kenyan couple found dead inside their Jersey City, New Jersey home on Monday morning had a history of marital problems, neighbors say.
Lydiah Okongo, 40, and her husband, 51-year-old Henry Okongo, were found dead of gunshot wounds inside the couple's residence located at 2 Mina Drive at around 8:45am on Monday.
Authorities say Lydiah’s body was found on the first floor of the house, and that she suffered multiple gunshot wounds to her head and torso. Henry’s body was found in the basement, with a single gunshot wound to his head. Police say they recovered a gun near Henry’s body, and believe Henry shot his wife several times before heading down the basement and turning the gun on himself. The couple’s two children, a 3-year-old boy and a 1-year-old girl were found in the house unharmed.
Kenyans in the Jersey City area who know the couple well have told Dainly Nation’s Chris Wamalwa that the couple had a history of marital problems and suspect the deaths were caused by domestic violence. Most of us who knew the couple very well know that they have had a tough marriage,” Dr George Omburo, an elder at a Seventh Day Adventist (SDA) church where the couple worshipped to Wamalwa.
“They quarreled a lot and they would separate for long periods only to come together again,” he added. Dr Omburo also said that the couple’s neighbors reported having heard a quarrel inside the house on Sunday night.
Henry moved to the United States nearly 20 years ago and operated a laundromat in the city while Lydiah worked as a nurse.
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NOT Everything that Glitters is Gold. So copycats of Lifestyles be warned. Jirani akila Nyama, usimuige. Kula mboga kama hauwezi Bei ya Nyama.
How long are we (Africans) continue to ape foreign cultures? The right to bear arms has turned USA into a "slaughter house." For example in 2013, only 827 Americans were killed in all foreign countries. The same year, 33,636 Americans butchered each other while using the gun as the weapon of death!
Why did our brother and sister from Kenya buy a gun? Did they simply do it because it is the "American" decadent culture?
We have to "Sankofa" and look back and start all over again. As I have said many times, you borrow what you don't have. We need to borrow only the technical-know-how and improve on our traditional cultures. For example, in my tiny micro-nation of Kenya, my traditional culture did not have the concept of suicide, rape, stealing, or killing another human being. At the moment, anything goes.
Whatever problems our brother and sister had, it did not justify what they did. They have left two infants without a parent. The two innocent children will succeed in life but will have many challenging issues ahead of them?
And Africans have been known to bear other crude weapons to butcher each other , the weapon of choice is not the problem here...................
Imara, it amazes me how americans are obsessed with guns.I have a friend who has 15 guns,and would like to get some more. Many will tell you that the second amendement did not intend for private individials to bear arms for self defense,but the right of states to protect themselves from federal interference.Of course there many who interpret it differently.
Regardless,too many guns out there increase chances of afew falling into the hands of the wrong hands.As this article illustrates.
Someone has said that the weapon of choice is not the issue here.Probably not,but I would argue that,once you pull a trigger that's it,you cannt"recall it". With a knife, you could hold your hand in midair if you change your mind. Certainly guns are more dangerous in situations that involve sudden blind rage,as opposed to meticulously planning to eliminate some one.The later may not matter much in terms of weapon of choice,but may ,matter in terms of convenience.
To me instead of arguing about what weapon to use or not to use, we should be talking of avoiding situations that lead into someone using a weapon of any kind.
One think a can glean from this tragedy is that,we should take warning signs very seriously.This notion of taking him or her back with the believe that they will change is too risky.Again I reiterate," If you love yourself,as well you should,dont put yourself in harms way.Walk away,or run away".
DID okongo PUT HIS WIFE THROUGH SCHOOL. IN THIS LAND OF I WILL SEE YOY LATER AFTER I'M WITH HIM OR HER.
right and you can survive a gun wound shot ......................a weapon and dangerous weapon is - 2007/08 the murdered Kenyans in Kale Land or Naivasha , there were no rifles used for the most part , so your argument is moot!
you are missing the point.attacking someone on "impulse"or blind rage is not the same as killing in apolitical or tribal driven right .like Imara said you can atleast out run a knife.You dont need studies to know in america guns are used to kill more than knives.and finally dont compare usa to kenya in relation to tribal violence.
You are right Max. Acting in a sudden fury of rage is not the same as deliberately attacking one tribe.This Okongo may have been blinded by rage,but then again we will never know.He may have planned his heinous act quietly...
And terrorist use trucks or blow themselves off, so no one is comparing guns to machete, anything can be dangerous when a deranged human being decides to finish off another . It is called mental health issues not so many guns blah. In Saudi they carry them too, in Europe too, how many gun related shootings have you heard of. It is a society many other social problems. Again gun as weapon of choice irrelevant!
According to you there is no intentional killings/deliberate/planned.If that's your position its OK. But well all agree that killing some one you claim to love,you must have a mental issue,unless its by accident.
Domestic violence is not the same as aterrorist using a truck to blow people.Yes they both result in deaths,but the same "cure" cannot be prescribed for both.
"To me instead of arguing about what weapon to use or not to use, we should be talking of avoiding situations that lead into someone using a weapon of any kind".How about that? Why are you comparing domestic violence with tribal violence?You are veering way off the topic.
Ndugu Maxiley, on the issue of guns, I once wrote to President Barack Obama while he was still in the White House and asked him the following questions, " Since the US Constitution guarantees the American people the right to bear arms, 'Can I possess nuclear weapons? '" I guess he might have not received my letter because I did not get any response from him.
I do agree with you that when the weapon is something else than the gun, the victim has a chance of fighting back or running away from the attacker. However, when the attacker has AR-15 assault rifle, the victim has zero chances of staying alive.
I strongly believe that the time has come in the USA to abolish the right to bear arms. In the USA with a population of about 324 million people, guess what! there are more guns in the hands of civilians than the entire human population. That's why it is dangerous and risky to get into an argument with a BARITUSA ( A person - Born And Raised In The USA). The BARITUSA when upset, might end up shooting you for trivial and insignificant issues.
By the way, what type of a gun did our brother from Kenya possess?
Sorry story!I have said here n that to imara confirmation what many Diaspora here have refused to owned it.About 35,000 Americans die from guns yearly n this shows how unsafe USA is n it amazes me when we try to compare with Kenya when it comes to guns killings!As somebody says if ur in the right mind n u owe a gun I doubt u will misuse it?I have 2 hapa jamhuri Which is liecenced!So this couple it seems they had lots of marriages problems!Guys walk away if the relationship has become sour.Reason together coz of the kids,walk away if u have few properties sell them off or divide them in a friendly adult manner but may will pull n push trying to grab everything n that’s when the shit starts??Remember I mentioned here long time ago getting married to this manurses women thou am not pointing on the women juu they think bin a nurse is like u have touched the moon.Even if u earn 50$ an hour if ur a fool u will remain as a fool in yr marriages until u decide to build yr relationship putting money aside.Money comes money goes so let’s invest in our marriages without involving money Properties tooo muchhh.
I thought I would inject a dose of laughter and self reflection in this unfortunate and sad case. Please watch these two and after you enjoy their hilarious exchanges, ask yourself who of the two best resembles your values, then reflect how the person you pick (Jeff or Jalas hypothetically) would survice in the land of plenty with pressures of nipe ni nipe? This, my friends is the problem today, how we cope with pressures is dependent on our set values drummed in childhood and upbringing. When this is turned on it's head, it confuses the core person we really are, i.e gender role reversal which requires a lot of adjustments on both sides to survive, so do and some don't...evidently. Anyway, wamenichekesha sana after a long unforgiving shift at work. And just for the record, I grew up with values akin to Jalas beliefs, but I have learned to be eclectic in order survive...sometimes the two (the mshamba & mjuaji in me) conflict, lakini...... I have people around me who check when the kamshamba is rearing her head!! Here it is: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yRfrukR2j08
I thought I would inject a dose of laughter and self reflection in this unfortunate and sad case. Please watch these two and after you enjoy their hilarious exchanges, ask yourself who of the two best resembles your values, then reflect how the person you pick (Jeff or Jalas hypothetically) would survive in the land of plenty with pressures of nipe ni nipe? This, my friends is the problem today, how we cope with pressures is dependent on our set values drummed in childhood and upbringing. When this is turned on it's head, it confuses the core person we really are, i.e gender role reversal which requires a lot of adjustments on both sides to survive, some do and some don't...evidently. Anyway, wamenichekesha sana after a long unforgiving shift at work. And just for the record, I grew up with values akin to Jalas beliefs, but I have learned to be eclectic in order survive...sometimes the two (the mshamba & mjuaji in me) conflict, lakini...... I have people around me who check me when the kamshamba is rearing her head!! Here it is: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yRfrukR2j08
"He is listed as the owner of both 2 Mina Drive, a corner house, and 120 Sycamore Road, which stands just behind the other home on the opposite corner."
"Hundreds of residents rallied him and helped save his business in 2013 when his lease was up and had defaulted on rent payments."
Those two excerpts are from the same story on Nation. They indicate that there were likely some big financial issues. Could it be that the inability to resolve these could have led to other marital issues, mental instability and eventually to such a fatal ending? Was professional help sought?
Clearly, from the article, the couple tried the separation therapy but somehow found a way of coming back together...the walk away theory is sometimes a hard act to follow. Many questions, but few answers. How can we learn from such tragic acts?