News of a Nairobi University Student who died in a “road accident” and had already been buried came into the limelight last week, then University of Nairobi student leaders through their Students Organization of Nairobi University (SONU) issued a 72 hours ultimatum to the police to arrest all the culprits behind the murder of their fellow student or they will hold peaceful demonstration. This was a normal statement that we Kenyans have gotten used to over the years and would just brush it away saying University Students like demonstrating about anything even an accident that could not be avoided. I thought it was long since I heard University of Nairobi demonstrate and so they got a reason to do so.
However I realized this is a fishy case and as the police started investigations and stories started coming out on the death of Mercy Keino, I realized it may have been a murder case and not an accident as those who attended the private party were trying to make people believe because:-
• There was no much blood at the scene of accident.
• A black Mercedes Benz was seen dropping the body of a girl, then a man on Monday presented himself to police as the owner of a vehicle mentioned in connection with the mysterious death of a university student. Mr Wycliffe Okelo, however, denied any wrongdoing, saying he saw the body on the road and swerved to avoid it. Read more
The Benz he presented is Green and is said to have been hurriedly repainted.
• The party she attended was also attended by an MP Kabogo, who was accused by former American Ambassador to Kenya Michael Reinburger of being a drug trafficker. Those who attended the party said they were discussing a business proposal but did not disclose the nature of business. It is also said she had a disagreement with the MP.
• Those who attended the party recorded statements that the student was drunk and was hit by a car because she was drunk. Her fellow students rubbished this and said she never drunk alcohol and was a born again Christian.
• The accounts recorded by the police show that Ms Keino was escorted out of the plush apartment complex by the MP’s bodyguards. When she stepped outside, the student sat on the stairs at the entrance to the complex. When the night guard asked the bodyguards what was going on he was informed that the woman was waiting for a taxi. But he did not see any taxi arrive and Ms Keino left on foot with the bodyguards, walking towards Waiyaki Way. Read more
• The body was later found 3 kilometers from the venue of the party.
• Her face and body was badly mutilated.
SONU also wants the Parliamentary Committee on Security to start an inquiry into the high number of students of the university who have just been disappearing. "It has become the norm for the University of Nairobi students to be murdered in cold blood by malicious members of public. A case in point is the murder of engineering student by guards at a night club. To date the culprits have not been brought to book," Owino said. Read more
The tragic and premature end of a promising master’s degree in communication student of the Nairobi University and one who had already discussed wedding preparations with her father is very sad. We can blame it on peer pressure that took her to the private party, but this is not right at all. Where there is smoke there is fire and that is why women legislatures and FIDA have come out strongly to condemn this and requested that no stone should be left unturned. Our police have left many stones unturned in the past and there are prominent people whose cases are just passing clouds. This is why the police just like the judiciary should be reformed. We cannot wait for America, England or Hague to take action against prominent personalities who are involved in criminal cases.
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