Wambui says she met the salon owner, whom she calls Paul, while working at a beauty shop in Zimmerman. She became pregnant at 21 and the two married soon after.
At first, life seemed stable: Wambui helped run the salon and a linked beauty college alongside her husband, and the couple appeared to be partners in business and family.
Trouble started after the birth of their first child. Wambui says Paul began openly cheating with students from the beauty college and other women who visited the salon.
She says she caught him multiple times, and the infidelity caused repeated fights.
The situation left her feeling disrespected at work and isolated at home.
Paul later travelled to the United States seeking better opportunities.
Wambui opposed the move because she was pregnant with twins and worried about managing the children and businesses on her own.
Despite her concerns, he stayed abroad for seven years.
During that time Wambui says she raised the children and kept the salon and college running, with occasional financial support from Paul.
When Paul returned, Wambui says his behaviour grew worse.
He became controlling and emotionally abusive, monitoring her phone and questioning her movements.
Wambui says she learned forex trading on her phone; Paul accused her of infidelity after seeing her activity and even threatened her.
Fearing for her safety, she fled to her sister’s home, leaving the children behind — a choice that later worked against her in court.
On New Year’s Eve, Wambui says Paul packed their belongings and removed the children from their home.
She later discovered he had taken them to his parents’ village, enrolled them in local schools and quietly filed a custody case.
Wambui learned of the court action only after a lawyer from the children’s school helped her access the file. The legal battle dragged through 2025.
Today Wambui visits her children mainly during school holidays. Two of the children live with their grandparents in the village while the eldest attends boarding school.
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