Ciru Muriuki poured her heart out in a poignant tribute to her late fiancé Charles Ouda, famously known as Charlie who was cremated at the Kariokor Crematorium on February 15, 2024.
It was a day shrouded in grief, as friends, family, and well-wishers came together to bid farewell to a beloved soul.
The day began with a requiem mass at All Saints Cathedral in Nairobi, a solemn gathering to honor the memory of Charlie, before his body was escorted to the crematorium for final rites.
Speaking at a memorial vigil held in the Baraza Media Lab on February 14 night, Ciru Muriuki stood before the assembly, her voice trembling with emotion as she shared intimate details of their relationship.
Amidst a somber atmosphere, the 41-year-old reminisced about their journey together, narrating a love story that spanned decades and defied all odds.
She painted a vivid picture of their initial encounter, recalling how she first laid eyes on Ouda during his days at St. Mary’s High School.
“The first time I ever saw Charlie on stage was several years ago when he was still at St. Mary’s. I just finished high school and my goodness I thought he was so fine waah! With that smile of his that lit up the stage.
“If anyone told me that 20-plus years later this luminance effervescent man would ask me to marry him I would have laughed you out of the room,” she reminisced, her words echoing with both nostalgia and sorrow.
Ciru Reminisces Love Journey
Their love story, she confessed, had its beginnings in friendship, gradually blossoming into something deeper and more profound.
“You see this love story of us took me by surprise. When Charlie and I reconnected after I came back from New York I wasn’t really looking. I lost my dad a year before and I was still trying to navigate the enormity of that loss,” she added.
The former tv and radio presenter went on to reveal that they began a friendship that later had some benefits.
Also Read: Charles Ouda’s Last Message to Friends Hours Before He Died
According to her, it was clear that there was something between them after some time, that was completely undeniable, which she and the deceased first fought.
However, the chemistry between them was too strong that they finally accepted it because there was this almost cosmic pull between them as per her narration.
As Ciru Muriuki delved deeper into their love story, she expressed profound gratitude for the love and companionship Charli had bestowed upon her.
“Let me tell you guys, I am almost 42 years old, and I have never been loved like that. It wasn’t about the grand gestures, it was about the comfort, the easy intimacy, that wonderfully silly friendship between us,” she confessed.
Amidst tears, she recounted the moment Ouda proposed, a simple yet profoundly beautiful gesture that remains etched in her memory.
Proposal and Tribute
Muriuki revealed that the night Charles proposed to her, they were on his couch where she was wearing torn leggings and one of his T-shirts.
With her voice breaking with raw emotion, she added, “He got down on one knee and I cried and to date that is the most beautiful night of my life.”
In her final words to her beloved, Ciru Muriuki expressed a love that transcended the boundaries of time and space.
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She thanked the departed for showing her what true love is and for being the perfect example of a gentleman and a real man.
“Thank you for being the kindest man I have ever known. Thank you for looking after me. It is the privilege of my life to have loved and been loved by you. Charlie, I will miss you until I join you,” she concluded.
The Former Makutano Junction actor passed on in the night of Saturday, February 3.
His death was confirmed on a February 4, in statement issued on behalf of his family and his fiancé Ciru Muriuki.
The appointed spokesperson also requested members of the public to give his family and spouse a space as they grieve the death of their loved one.
“It is with deep sorrow that the family of Charles ‘Charlie’ Ouda and Ciru Muriuki inform you of his passing on the night of 3rd February 2024,” the statement read in part.
However, the statement did not reveal the cause of the actor’s death.
