Eva Nyambura
In November 2019 gospel artiste Ruth Matete married Nigerian pastor BlessedJohn Apewajoye.
Theirs was a short-lived marriage seeing as Apewajoye met his death five months into their union.
The deceased lost his life following a gas cylinder accident at the couple’s Great Wall Gardens home, Athi River on March 30.
Earlier this week, his manager and friend, Jessy Mcjessiey released a video claiming foul play into his sudden death.
This prompted the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) to summon the widow who is two months pregnant with her first child.
According to the Nation, Matete who won Tusker Project Fame 2012, recorded her statement and later led experts to her home.
They included forensic officers, Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority officials, detectives and her lawyer Robert Odanga.
Samples were collected and exhibits, including the gas cylinder that exploded.
In her statement, the singer said her husband tried to release some gas from their 6Kg cylinder which he thought was overfilled.
On the fateful day, Apewajoye was wearing just a pair of trousers. At around 5 pm as he tried to light the gas, the cylinder exploded, she said.
Trying to rescue him, Matete told the detectives that she ran for a duvet as she screamed for help.
Apewajoye was then rushed to Bellevue South Hospital and later to Bellevue South Hospital where he was admitted to the high dependency unit.
A week later, he developed complications and was referred to Kenyatta National Hospital where a medic questioned Bellevue Hospital’s decision to admit a burns victim yet they did not have a burns unit.
Read: Pastor Fatally Stabs Wife, Commits Suicide During Church Service In Mombasa
Matete also told the detectives that while at Bellevue hospital, Apewajoye was not receiving enough water leading to kidney failure.
His wound too was not well taken care of “so it became septic.”
The pastor was at KNH for a week before he breathed his last on April 11 at around 8.30 pm.
An autopsy was supposed to be carried out on Wednesday but the Nigerian Embassy is yet to approve following his manager’s claims.
“The embassy is still holding the body at KNH mortuary after a video was released by one of its citizen’s questioning the circumstances behind this death,” Mr Odanga said.
Six witnesses have since recorded statements as Matete files complaints against the gas company and Bellevue Hospital.
“At Bellevue, my client was told that her husband suffered burns amounting to 40 per cent, but at KNH the degree was indicated as 60 per cent,” Odanga continued.
Apewajoye’s manager accused Matete of stabbing the deceased on three separate occasions.
Jessy painted a picture of a troubled marriage. He acknowledged advising his client to go back to his first wife with whom he has two children.
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