The Maunda's: Our happily ever after love story that was brewed inside a Matatu bound for Western Kenya
Denice and Bernice Maunda.
When it comes to meeting your partner, we can all agree that you never know when Cupid will strike his arrow, so it is not uncommon to hear love stories about how two people met in unlikely places.
For example, before meeting his wife, Denice Maunda may have cursed the skies after missing a flight to Mombasa for a business trip.
Little did he know that this unfortunate incident would lead him to meet the love of his life.
"On the same day I missed my flight to Mombasa for a business meeting, I took a matatu from Nairobi to Western at around 6pm. At the Nairobi stop, I accidentally dropped my power bank when a woman (who is now my wife) handed it to me, as we happened to be travelling in the same vehicle," he says.
Mr Maunda says he and his wife, Bernice Maunda, were seated far apart in the matatu, he in the front seat near the door and his wife in the back.
"The journey was fast, the driver decided that we should stop at one of the eateries in Nakuru. After everyone had eaten, we all got back into the matatu to continue the journey and that is when we started talking," said Mr Maunda.
While in the matatu, the person sitting next to Maunda began to feel uncomfortable and wanted to move to a seat with a window. Bernice agreed to change seats.
"As soon as Bernice sat next to me, I struck up a conversation by making a joke about the food we had eaten, saying 'ama tumekula nyama ya paka' as Nakuru is known for such meats, and the rest was history," he notes with a laugh.
So what exactly attracted him to her out of all the other passengers on the trip?
"Her honesty and humility, she is an honest woman, this has made us compatible for three years now, currently we have a three month old son together and God willing we will be getting married next year in August," he said.
"As we sat down to eat and catch up, we both discovered that we had a lot in common and it was fate that brought us to this unexpected reunion," said Bernice Maunda.
Mrs Maunda emphasises that the journey has not been easy, especially for her. In the beginning, she faced a lot of criticism because she was only 21 years old at the time.
Some of her friends and family thought she was still a young, naive girl and advised her to stay away from men who work in the government because they are assumed to be polygamous.
"If I had gone by what people said, we wouldn't have come this far, because not everything people say happens to everyone. It is quite unfortunate that people judge by what people say, but I thank God I have him on my side, it was worth the risk," she notes.
Despite the eight year difference between them, they have maintained a close bond, always ready to accept mistakes and ask for forgiveness.
The missed flight became the catalyst for a beautiful love story that unfolded in the unlikeliest of places - a matatu bound for western Kenya.