The Slap that Cost Me Millions and Deportation from the US
He once lived a fairy tale life, by his definition. He had most of what he wanted in life and it looked like nothing would stand in his way. Well, something did and from a life of opulence in the US, he lives from hand to mouth in London Estate, an informal settlement in Nakuru.
Life has thrown him ironies he is trying to come to terms with. Peter Ndirangu, 49, a mechanical engineer lived in the USA for 11 years, a chance he got after he won a Green Card. He had tried five times without success.
“I was pregnant with hope that the chance to fly out was a signal of kicking out poverty in my lineage. I had heard many stories of people who had become prosperous once they went to the US,†he says. After landing in US in 1999, lady luck was on his side as he furthered his education and acquired immense wealth within 11 years.
Ndirangu, a third born in a family of four joined Thika High School in year 1981 and got Division One and later went to Afraha High for his A-level. “After completing my A level I joined my father in his truck businesses and I worked as a driver for five years until I won the Green Card in 1999,†Ndirangu recalls.
On arrival in the US with his wife, Ndirangu secured a job as a security guard and later joined IATA for driving courses. “I worked with several companies as a truck driver earning Sh26,700 to Sh44,500 a day,†he says.
After years of saving, Ndirangu bought his own truck after depositing about Sh5.2 million.
He also bought a house in Garland, Dallas worth Sh7.9 million plus three personal vehicles among other properties. He also joined East Field College and graduated with Associate Degree in Mechanical Assembly and Automobile Technology.
“I had Sh6.2 million in my bank account, which I had saved from my business,†Ndirangu recalls.
And it seemed like Ndirangu would live a fairy tale until an argument with his wife. For over 10 years, they did not have a child. The issue had caused a lot of strain in their marriage and in a moment of madness, Ndirangu slapped his wife. This was the beginning of his downfall.
He was jailed and later deported with literally nothing except Sh3,400 he earned while in jail. “We had a fight as my then wife Catherine Wambui could not bear children and I think I over-reacted on the issue,†he regrets.
He was arrested and jailed twice in a county jail for six months before being transferred to Houston, Texas, for another six months.
“My then wife visited me only twice and from then I received a letter from her Nigerian lawyer concerning the case. I did not respond because I notified him and the magistrate our misunderstanding would be better solved out of court,†he says. That was the last time he heard from his then wife as he was deported by two US Immigration officers to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in 2000.
Now, Ndirangu is languishing in poverty living a rented house paying Sh1,500 a month at London Estate next to largest dump site in Nakuru, Gioto, a far cry from his Sh7.9 dream house in the US. He lives from hand to mouth, as he cannot even afford Sh100 a day to fend for himself. He has now been forced to venture into pancake business with a capital of Sh250 in the sprawling London Estate just to make ends meet.
He sells one pancake for Sh5. He has become a laughing stock of relatives and friends. Ndirangu admits he has hit rock bottom in the last 10 years, but hangs on to hope that one day things will look up again. He says he misses his life and regrets being violent with his wife.
When he has time, he talks to young people about domestic violence and anger management. “I tell them that nothing they do to another human being goes unpunished. Our judicial system is not as strict as the US one, but you never get away with harming another human being,†he says.
- People Daily
Comments
After reading this and many
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After reading this and many like stories....I beseech....beg foreigners to read Chapter 16 of the book "WUODHA: My journey from Kenya to these United States" for a primer on life in the diaspora. The tips therein will go a long way in prepping the reader for life in the diaspora.
I am so passionate about the need to educate diasporites about life abroad that I will even send a copy to the first 10 people to respond to my e-mail appended on all my blogs...or leave a post on www.wuodhe.com.
That Bw. Ndirangu has committed to talking to young men about the dangers of domestic violence and anger management, albeit 15 years too late speaks to his humanity. He made a mistake in a culture that can be very unforgiving. My heart goes out to the man...even as raise my hat at his willingness to take responsibility for his actions.
Yep that was a costly
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Yep that was a costly slap.Jail,then deportation,after fighting so hard to land in the land of milk and honey is something movies are made of.
These dire consequences underscore the dangers of domestic violence. Iam sure Mr. Ndirangu new that it was wrong to slap his wife,but did not know that it would lead to hell.He probably might have done it in Kenya,and gotten away with it as many men in kenya,or africa so often do.
Regardless of what the quarrel was about,angry,or not, that was a risky move.Sometimes it does not have to be the wife who calls the corps. A mere disturbance in the house witnessed by a neighbor is all it takes.
Ndirangu learned the hard way that,police here are not going to tell him, ndio fundisha mama akimea pembe...and leave laughing.
This is no laughing matter.Look where he is now, regretting what that evil that slap has brought him.I dont know his wife,but I would change to say that she feels partly to blame for his current condition.
This story should be a lesson to couples who abuse each other. I know some of the domestic violence perpetrators are saying that,this would not happen to them. Dont be too sure.If you doubt me, ask Mr. Dirangu. One never knows what they would do when pushed beyond their threshold...
The best unsolicited advise I can give Kenyans is diaspora on this matter is,when you realize things arent working with madam,or mr. dont force them. Count your losses and move on.Its better to start all over when free,than when in jail.And even better yet, you might be luck and the second time around might be acharm for you and get the spouse that neutralize you before you slap,or you might say once is enough,and live spousal free hassle. The choice is your,please try to make the right choice,even if clouded by anger.That is if you love yourself,and I trust that you do...
While I sympathize with
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While I sympathize with Ndirangu, I am glad it didn't end up like many others do - with one or both partners dead. It is true that we men have a harder time adjusting to life abroad, especially as it pertains to relationships and my best advice to menfolk is to very very carefully think through marriage before commitment. For those who can, staying away from marriage might actually be the better option and many men are taking this route. For those who are already domesticated, you have to be exceptionally intelligent to wade through successfully. I remain very skeptical of marriage abroad, especially in the US and Europe. Call me traditional if you want; I have been there, done that and today I gat no regrets
I don't condone spousal
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I don't condone spousal abuse. BUT if Ndirangu's wife thinks it will be well with her for the rest of her life: the house, the cars, and the money? I guess she better think again. Her Nigerian lawyer misled her and I think if she has conscience, she DOESN'T happily laugh all the way to Ndirangu's former bank account; there must be some guilt unless proven otherwise proven. And again, no way is she going to be happily ever after if she has human conscience. At least the 2 antagonists should have shared the properties and gone separate ways.
MSICHANA MKENYA AKIONA PESA, CHUPI YAKE HULOWA MAJI na AKIONA MALI, MDOMO WAKE HULOWA MATE. Kweli tamaa ni kitu mbaya. Lord have mercy!
Don't speak like a fool in
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Don't speak like a fool in public. You don't know how these people were living and that chupi comment save for your mother, sister, girlfriend and daughter.
Unafikiria u kno all?
A story has two sides. At
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A story has two sides. At least hes owning his mistakes and striving to be a better person. There is no win, win situation here
@Hanna, I agree on your
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@Hanna, I agree on your summary- a story has two sides to it and either side can distort it to their own advantage. I hope Mr, Ndirangu picks up his pieces moves on and he may find success again . He has done the most difficult phase - owning up to h
Oh my God I know this guy I
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Oh my God I know this guy I visited this couple 2005 when they were married,I knew Peter Ndirangu and his wife Catherine very well,sorry to hear his downfall.This guy had his own problems first it was over drinking then DWIs followed they didn't mention on story and also he wasn't deported 2000 may be after 2005 when I saw him last. This guy is to be blamed for all his problems I tried to talk to him he accelerated by making wrong decisons after he got drank,domestic fights were his daily problems we tried with my wife who was their friends she the one who introduced me to them.Well what do say shit happens but you don't wonna bargain for problems and that is exactly my friend Peter did acohol was his biggest cause of his downfall,
after reading the story I
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after reading the story I knew there was more to it than just one slap. its misleading and buying sympathy for his own mistakes. I always say I will understand an 18 yr old behaving this way but not someone over 30 yrs . drink yourself with village muratina in the village mate. msiba wa kujitakia hauna kilio.
Pole to mr ndirangu for what
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Pole to mr ndirangu for what u went thru' don't worry malipo ni hapa tu duniani so juu this ex demon wife could have atleast given u half the cash juu u worked for it(that's why I called her demon/evil one).Also I always tell the diaspora pple to invest back home hata Kama hairudi juu if ndirangu could have done it,hangekuwa na shida zenye ako nazo saa hii.Kama angenjenga nyumba yake kenya then angekuwa atleast na hse ya kulala the he can sell it n start somewhere.Majamaa east or west home is the best n I insisted even if ur not planning to go back home buy 1,2 plots or build a hse then wacha zikae nyumbani juu chochote chaweza kutokea,na ikitokea atleast u have somewhere to ran.so wacha hii iwe funzo kwa diaspora pple specially men
I absolutely love the advise.
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I absolutely love the advise. 2007-8 should have been a wake up call to all Kenyans to have a plan B. I know guys who lost all their savings(as they had used it to make a down payment on a house). With the market crash and most guys walking away from their homes, many were forced to start again at square A while others packed and went back home. Those with rich parents and/or had invested back in Kenya had a soft landing. Woe unto you if you had ignored Kenya completely and were deported or couldn't get a new job because of a criminal record, domestic issues and DUIs. Many in U.S. live paycheck to paycheck. One mishap and you are wiped out like Mr. Ndirangu. You may not be abusive but DUIs, any lawsuit, illness or job loss can send you back years. If push come to shove, those with a Kenyan option fair much better. However well you are doing, an option gives one peace of mind. I am glad I took that advise over 15 years ago...
This is very sad. The one
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This is very sad.
The one thing I highly doubt is that it was a mere slap. Whatever happened between himself and his wife was bad enough for him to be arrested. I saw a post here from someone that seems to know him. The alcohol problem story makes a whole lot more sense.
Domestic violence and DUI are considered crimes of moral turpitude in the US especially if they are committed repeatedly. Meaning, the are ground for deportation. If caught with either, please get a good lawyer!
Some of these men come here and don't understand that some of the things they might consider okay are crimes here. You do not hit women here. It is a crime regardless of the reason.
And not responding to the letter from the lawyer was really serious a lapse in judgement. He should have gotten a lawyer as well. Once a crime is reported, resolving it i private is no longer an option. Due process takes course.
But everyone deserves a second chance. I hope he can find redemption in whatever way he could. I would not wish eternal hell on my worst enemy. All the best bro!
African men learn to adjust
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African men learn to adjust to western culture once you move there. There is no 'mimi ni mwanaume nawika kwa nyumba yangu". You will be in trouble. I guess his wife was also working madouble etc. that means it was their properties not his only as he claims. Pole kwake because sometimes in life we get 2nd chance and sometimes we do not.
It's not about adjusting -
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It's not about adjusting - who said western culture is superior to ours? What with all the divorces, homosexuality politely referred to as same sex unions, mass shootings, psychological breakdowns and many more social ills afflicting these societies? My advice to men: be very very smart, crafty if needs be, in order to succeed in these societies. Anything less and you will be wiped out like Ndirangu. For a quick reference, just read what this Thuraku says above and take the lesson home
@MLACHAKE. I mean the culture
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@MLACHAKE. I mean the culture of kunyoosha mama asimee pembe you will be nyooshadi properly. Divorces, homosexuality, evil, etc. is all over the world.
I have one word: WOMEN.
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I have one word: WOMEN.
@Socrato.........At least he
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@Socrato.........At least he didn't kill his wife.....Physical assault n physical violence ,assault.......is an automatic rejection of green card n citizenship......They will not approve u.....especially if the cops were called n u were found guilty....kw
Don't blame alcohol,Ndirangu
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Don't blame alcohol,Ndirangu could have used mucus instead of brains to divorce the lady on agreement that she remains his girlfriend or a "BANANA" then marry a "GACHUNGWA".But his small brains told him that a slap will make Wambui conceive.
Ndirangu aliweka all his eggs
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Ndirangu aliweka all his eggs in one basket.Mtu hujaribu anajenga tunyumba twa kukodisha hivi kule jamuhuri na kununua tuploti hivi.Kikiumana unaenda kuendelea na maisha sio kuanza.Halafu usijicommit saana na mtu ,apana, watu ni wengi hii dunia ,unakumbuka hata Lucifer alikuwa malaika kule paradiso halafu kikaumana.Kwa hivyo jipangeni watu nguyas.Msipigane makofi,apana..hiyo utauma jela na si poa.
Do not fight ur wife in
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Do not fight ur wife in diaspora period!! You can really pay a high price for just a mere slap..
How about don't fight anybody
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How about don't fight anybody period.Check ur emotions n keep ur hands to yourself.
By the way hii kenya hamtaki
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By the way hii kenya hamtaki kurudi imeendelea na sisi pia tumeendelea nyinyi fanyeni matriples but ujue life haina rehearsal.Coming from diaspora with that hardworking mind,wasee u will touch the sky but atleast Njenga kahouse yako n 2plots then u will enjoy maisha way way way far than the one in USA or uk.I hope the ndirangu story opens especially the men eyes juu in diaspora the Dog, woman,child comes first then a men uko nomber 5.
Why is everybody talking of
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Why is everybody talking of buying plots? I do not like urban life and I enjoy life in the farm. I hope there are so many people who love to live in the farm. Even in USA I do not like to live in big cities.
mKENYA HALISIS- as always you
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mKENYA HALISIS- as always you and your tu plotis amaze me and you continue poking on us that we must follow your path. I know a few Kenyans who own tu ploti here ( USA)and who commute in and out of KE in their 80s, Kenya being a vacation destination not a primary home. So , maybe you should preach diversification / looking at investments in the countries one is accustomed to not necessarily country of birth - thin outside the box my bratha:-). You can still live luxurious life in the USA, Caribbean and die happy esp if your spy is non-Kenyan....
All these investment
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All these investment suggestions Iam reading here seem to come from men,and to the exclusion of their wives.So I gather,that they are all disillusioned,and disenchanted with their marital state,or single.
This article was prompted by tribulations of a married man,therefore Iam taking all these advises to mean that Kenya men in diaspora should put aside some savings of their own in case amarital tsunami lands on the joint investments.In short get married with that caveat in mind.
Unfortunately,this interpretation might send awrong message and thus induce unintended consequences ,such as madam getting too inquisitive about the withdrawal you made yesterday,and the day before.
By the way how come Iam not reading something like,"I and my lovely wife plan to buy a plot in Ngara Estate and retire there ,after Junior completes his masters in aeronautical engineering at MIT".
I guess I will re-read all these comments, in case I missed one,if not, I will keep reading.Hopefully someone ,aKenyan in diaspora who is blissfully married,and well invested will give us the right map to follow.I will only considered advise from a well seasoned diaspora couple that have been married for over 20yrs.Any advise that does not meet this time limit but looks,and sounds reasonable will still be entertained with a grain of salt.Time,coupled with two or three things that entail marriage life, is agood measure of marital contentment.And yes I know contentment is relative.But i doubt many wives would be content with one slap. Hey be careful now.Dont misinterpret what Iam saying here:)
He won green card in 1999 and
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He won green card in 1999 and deported in 2000? He was in jail for 6 months in county jail and six in houston?? How did he get all the money?? This story doesn't add up!!!!!!
Is slapping a family member a
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Is slapping a family member a felony or misdemeanor in Texas? Green card deportees have to have committed a felony. They don't deport green card holders for class A stuffs. So, my question is what else did he do beside the kidero thing? This story is incomplete but pole bwana nakufeel.
DNA, please be advised that
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DNA, please be advised that any immigration issues are dealt by federal laws in the usa,and not the state laws.In other words the federal law supersede the state law.
Some one on this forum as already mentioned this... I believe he or she said it falls under moral turpitude...
Even worse yet, one could be deported for having been charged with prostitution,under the same law.This one I know for a fact. I happen to work in a legal office that represented one individual from south america who was in this predicament. He had no prior convictions. It was upto the Immigration judge to grant him a stay,or have him deported.
So if some of you Kenyan men who happen to have this habit of going to "majengo",be careful make sure your papers are in order before you engage in any shenanigans.
However, if this misfortune be falls you,dont worry mwakilishi will be here to tell others of your tribulations,as a warning to others.I can almost see the title"short moja is all it too for for the walls of his castle to come down crumbling".Anyway, I dont want to steal the thunder. I leave this to mwakilishi.Keep up the good work.
DNA is referring to the
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DNA is referring to the timeline given.
How can the guy have arrived in the US in 1999 then deported in 2000 and had time to spend months in jail, get an AA degree which takes at least 2 years, make money to buy a house etc.?
Story doesnt make sense. A commentor said he had visited the man and his wife in 2005 so perhaps the writer of the story made an error with the date ama Ndirangu just plain lied to cover himself.
We have read your story and
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We have read your story and sympathized with you. Now it is your time to move on get married & have kids. If you need a harambe ask for one. Harambee has been misused time and again for many reasons even you deserve one.
F Kenyan B***
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F Kenyan B***
Bottomline alikosea lakini si
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Bottomline alikosea lakini si roho ya samaha mke kwani alipochapwa alivunjwa mbavu? Cate please help Ndirangu and stop putting all this readers in the damning empathetic pose. They might curse your path.
Hard times come and my
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Hard times come and my opinion is that everyone deserves a second chance especially if they've learned from their first mistake. But in all fairness, Mr. Ndirangu deserved half of his property and I hope the wife made arrangements to do the right thing.....I also hope he is off the muratina in Kenya as he tries to pick himself up. I wish him the very best...
HEY GUYS. IF HE HAD THE
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HEY GUYS. IF HE HAD THE HOUSES, DO NOT FORGET YOU HAVE TO PAY MONTHLY FOR ABOUT 30 YEARS BEFORE IT IS TERMED YOUR PROPERTY. yOU STILL CONTINUE PAYING PROPERTY TAXES IKIHARIBIKA YOU HAVE TO GET MONEY OUT OF YOUR POCKET REGERDALESS OF WHETHER YOU ARE WORKING OR NOT, KUNA PIA RE-FINANCE WHICH IS AN INCURRED DEBT. DID HE ALSO MENTION HE BOUGHT A TRUCK?????????? WHAT ABOUT MAINTENANCE????????????????????? LET US SPEAK THE TRUTH MAISHA KILA MAHALI NI PESA NA NGAMBO KILA KITU NI MBESHA ...............INA MAANA IKITUMWA KWETU.ON THE OTHER HAND WE NEVER ASK OURSELVES WHETHER WE LIVE TO WORK OR WORK TO LIVE..............................IT ALL DEPENDS ON HOW WELL YOU UTILIZE IT. IT SEEMS LIKE HE WAS ABUSING ALCOHOL AS @ STEVE KAMAU STATED AND THAT DOES NOT SIT WELL IN THE "WESTERN WORLD"
@MARIA I AGREE WITH YOU LAKINI LABDA ALIUZA YOTE COZ SHE COULD NOT AFFORD KEEPIMG THEM AND MAYBE MAMA CATHERINE HAD GIVEN MUCH MORE MONEY THAN HIS HUBBY, WHO KNOWS. JUST SAYING AND SPECULATING ............................ HE SOUNDS LIKE HE WAS A FOCUSED GUY BUT WHEN YOU PUT ALCOHOL IN THE MIX IT IS A RECIPE FOR DISASTER. WISH U ALL LUCK IN YOUR NEW VENTURE
@ Kenya umenena. I was born,
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@ Kenya umenena. I was born, bred in the big cities and lived in in big cities but am happy to be living in the valley-no rat race. I do not care about big cities anymore coz we can drive to and from when we want to barabara nyweeeeeeeeeeeeee and same app
This is my own story, not
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This is my own story, not Ndirangu out there. I came in this great country and by all means strived from out of status to bringinging my wife..THEN and kids. She was a std 8 drop-out but when she shown the willingness of going to school I was very supportive and she finished LPN and same year we got our Naturalization ceremony and things started going down the hill. She became rude and threatening that I am intimidated by her superiority etc etc. Long story short Summer of 2012 she called me names after an argument which had become the order of life and stated that with my impending divorce filing it will not end well and surely it didn't! I stand before God today that I didn't even get close to her but she moved out of the house and later sent me a message to go and marry hao maraya but I will pay dearly.I returned the message with my tough words which were also used as evidence against me. Three days I received a court order to appear in Family Justice for a protection order hearing...in the list among others I force her to have sex with me(after being married for twenty years), I verbally/physically abuse her and millions of shits! Court date comes and I could not wait. Given the options I said I don't need a lawyer but I want to proceed with a hearing. She had two lawyers and in the proceeding I told judge I want her to give her not two years of protection from me but lifetime because she will never be in or near my life ever. The judge and her lawyers couldn't believe it so I repeated calmly. Done with that I filed divorce but I also alerted her family, this is the first round of fight but the next one will be in Jamhuri and I will fight with teeth and nails over the properties we had accumulated over time. Over years as some has said here I was always buying a piece of land/plot over and over and this woman wanted a share of them but to me her properties were in tuition paid through her school when I was working day and night. Divorce went through and she had nothing to show of her claims, can't go to Kenya for all the crap she pulled and has nothing beside the LPN. Even if I was to be deported if I wasn't a US Citizen at the time I can tell you I wont be living like this Ndirangu guy...no offence. I go to Kenya twice a year to make sure my things are running properly and I just remarried. I heard she is picking her life together after using antidepressants and getting fired more than five jobs. Points to learn before anyone crucifies me..be alert with your life always knowing where you could fall back in case of anything. Invest in Kenya with whatever you get as that's the last place anyone can kick you out. Trust with caution not with foolishness, and to men its hard for a man to do this shit to his wife but women won't think twice throwing you under the bus no matter what!
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