A mother of five in Mwatate, Taita Taveta County, has finally found relief after spending more than three months sheltering in a cave with her young children, following a bitter land dispute that left her with nowhere else to turn.
Suzan Maktau, widely known by her nickname “Chuchu,” was forced out of the land where she had been living by her own relatives.
Why did Chuchu find shelter in cave?
With no alternative and no one willing to take her in, she retreated into a cave in the Wusi area, where she and her five children endured the biting cold and driving rain for over three months.
Speaking to Citizen TV reporter Julius Joho, Suzan described the conditions inside the cave in raw terms.
“I had nowhere else to go; I have endured a life of extreme hardship — a life defined by deep pain,” she said. “I ended up here… for the last three months, I’ve lived right here, down in this spot.”
Chuchu allegedly repeatedly mistreated over years
To protect her children from the cold on rainy nights, she improvised with whatever she could find.
“Whenever it rained, the only protection I had were those logs,” she explained. “I would arrange large logs to create some warmth, so that the children could stay warm.”
Her suffering did not begin with the eviction. According to the report, her family had repeatedly mistreated her over the years, allegedly beating her, making false accusations against her and having her arrested.
Chuchu arraigned in court on more than one occasion
She was reportedly taken to court on more than one occasion over minor family disagreements, and on one occasion she was reportedly imprisoned for approximately three months.
Suzan’s situation drew the attention of Mwatate Member of Parliament Peter Shake, who built her a house so that she and her children would have a proper roof over their heads.
Local leaders and community members also rallied behind her, pushing back against those in the village who had opposed the construction of a home for her.
Dangers of land inheritance disputes
Regional administrative officials used the moment to caution communities about the dangers of land inheritance disputes, noting that such conflicts disproportionately harm women and their children.
Suzan herself, now settled, is urging those around her not to look away from the vulnerable.
She is calling on her community to extend support to those who are struggling, as she once was.
