Johnson Muthama, a Commissioner of the Parliamentary Service Commission and former Senator of Machakos, will lay his ex-wife, Joyce Nzisa Mwongela, to rest at her parents’ home in Kilome, Kilungu, Makueni County.
Nzisa, who passed away after a prolonged illness on February 16, 2026, will be interred on Friday, February 27, 2026, as confirmed by her family. She leaves behind five daughters: Naomi, Alice, the late Janet, Margaret, and Patricia Muthama.
Her passing comes just a week after Muthama and his other ex-wife, Machakos Senator Agnes Kavindu, buried their son, Moses Muthama Nduya, at his father’s residence in Tala, Kangundo Sub-county.
Nzisa was the beloved daughter of the late George Zakayo Mwongela and Mary Alice Nthoki Mwongela. She also took great pride in being a grandmother to Ayden, Sophie-Anne, Melissa, Olivia-Rose, Zachary, Ella, and Etta.
She cherished her role as a sister to Connie Mbithe Muia, Mary Mudachi, Leila Monica Ndunge Jaffer, Ngala Mwendwa Mwongela, as well as to the late Jane Mukulu and Patrick Mutua Mwongela. Additionally, she was sister-in-law to the late Dr. Tom Kyendo, Edwin Mudachi, and Jaffer Hilal, alongside Christine Mwendwa.
Nzisa’s legacy extends to her role as a beloved aunt and cousin, leaving a lasting impression on many relatives in Kenya and abroad. Her extended family and friends will remember her fondly.
Family and friends convened for meetings on February 20, with further gatherings scheduled for February 23 and 24 at her residence in Woodley.
In 2021, Nzisa garnered media attention when she accused one of her daughters of being paid to defame Ms. Kavindu during her campaign for the Machakos senatorial seat, drawing significant public interest.
Nzisa faced a setback in 2020 when she lost a court case seeking to reside in Muthama’s Mua home, stemming from a long-standing legal dispute over property ownership.
The Court of Appeal determined that the legal proceedings between Muthama and Nzisa, which had originated in 1992 and concluded in 2015, could no longer linger indefinitely. Lady Justice Wanjiru Karanja emphasized that “litigation must come to an end at some point,” dismissing Nzisa’s request to appeal a High Court ruling regarding the estate.
Justice Karanja highlighted that Nzisa failed to provide medical evidence to substantiate her claims of hospitalization due to shock following the June 2015 ruling by High Court Judge Lydiah Achode.
This ruling occurred shortly after Kavindu also sought a claim to Muthama’s Mua home, which was ultimately unsuccessful.
Court records reveal that Nzisa claimed the couple acquired various properties during their marriage, including real estate, company shares, a gemstones business, and vehicles. Muthama filed for divorce in 1991, while Nzisa countered with a petition for dissolution.
In November 1992, Nzisa agreed to a memorandum of settlement aimed at resolving their disputes, withdrawing her divorce case and relinquishing rights to specific properties, including their matrimonial home in Lavington and another in Runda. This agreement was formally filed in court on December 2, 1992, marking the matter as settled.
In 2014, Nzisa approached the High Court to amend the settlement, arguing that their children were minors when transfer documents for two additional properties were signed and that the original settlement inadequately addressed her matrimonial claims.
Muthama countered that Nzisa had willingly participated in drafting the settlement and had reaped its benefits for over two decades. On July 9, 2015, the court ruled in favor of Muthama, affirming that the matter had been amicably resolved between the parties.
