Ms Joy Wanjohi, her cousin and First Year literature student in the same university Monday told the Nation that Charity — a staunch Christian and gifted pianist — had chosen to finish her class assignments instead of travelling to Laikipia with her colleagues from the main campus in Eldoret.
The third-year Bachelor of Education student’s body was discovered by passers-by at around 6am on Sunday in a thicket, a few metres from the off-campus Bucca Estate, where she shared a rented room with another student.
Some students recalled that she left the library at around 10pm on Saturday for her room. And that was the last time she was seen alive.
Tension remained high at the university Monday morning as students demanded the release of their leader, Mr Moses Jairo, who was allegedly summoned and detained at the administration block over protests related to the incident.
He was released after students threatened to demonstrate.
RISING INSECURITY
One of the students, Mr Hassan Santiago, said the university’s administration had failed to provide hostels for learners, despite rising insecurity around the institution.
Yesterday, the family said Ms Maina was obedient and her future was bright.
“Every minute, I keep picturing her in my mind, talking innocently and determinedly in front of a Christian union gathering,” said Ms Wanjohi.
She said her cousin was among students who had been invited to their home county, Laikipia, by members of the county assembly to discuss bursaries and other issues.
However, Ms Wanjohi recalls, her cousin turned down the Saturday visit because there was some course work she needed to cover before Monday.
In memory of her cousin, Ms Wanjohi has put Ms Maina’s photo as her Whatsapp profile picture. Whatsapp is a social messaging service.
Her Whatsapp status read: “Days may come and go, and seasons too, but you will remain in my heart, forever.”
She says the victim was determined to be “a better woman” and had little time to engage in intimate relationships.
“Many students spend a few minutes hanging out with the opposite gender, as expected, but my cousin never engaged in such,” she adds.
Ms Maina did not want to live outside the university but lack of space in the hostels had driven her to find housing outside the institution.
“She struggled hard to get accommodation inside campus but there was none.”
Speaking at the Moi Referral Hospital where relatives had gone to witness the post-mortem examination, Mr Duncan Mungai, Ms Maina’s uncle, described her as religious.
courtesy of the nation.
