Kenya’s 40-year-old Alice Jepkorir has been thrown into mourning following the death of her 101-year-old husband, Mzee Johanna Butuuk, two years after their widely celebrated wedding.
The couple made headlines in 2023 when they tied the knot in a colourful ceremony in Soy, Uasin Gishu County, drawing public attention due to their 59-year age gap and the fact that it was Butuuk’s first marriage at age 99.
Confirming his passing to TUKO.co.ke on Monday, October 6, a family member, Sally Chepkoech, said the centenarian died peacefully in his sleep a few days ago, without any sign of illness.
Relatives recalled that Mzee Butuuk, who had never been married before, found companionship in Alice after years of solitude. The family said they had encouraged him to remarry so he could have someone by his side in his later years.
Speaking in an earlier interview, Alice had expressed deep affection for her husband, describing him as calm, caring, and unlike many younger men.
“I love him so much because he is an unproblematic man, unlike those young men who get drunk and beat up their wives. Even the previous man who impregnated me never helped me at all. This man helps me pay school fees and take care of my children,” she said.
Their union, which was officiated by Catholic priests, was celebrated across Kenya as a testament to love, companionship, and devotion beyond age.