Bowen Kanda and his family are grappling with profound shock and grief following the tragic demise of their daughter, Mercy Cherono.
Only four days after her admission to Daystar University to pursue a course in Nursing, Mercy Cherono’s life was cut short, leaving her family in disbelief and mourning.
On the fateful day, Kanda recounted how his daughter had called her mother, expressing her intention to return home that evening. She cited a party for first-year students happening at the school that she did not wish to attend.
However, moments later, the 18-year-old Cherono called her mother again, indicating that she had decided to stay and join the party because she couldn’t secure transportation home.
At 2 am, Kanda received the dreaded phone call that every parent fears. The school urgently summoned parents to the institution, but the situation took an even grimmer turn when they were directed to Shalom Hospital in Kitengela. It was there that their worst fears were confirmed – their beloved daughter had passed away.
“I only admitted her at Daystar University on 4th September, and hardly four days passed before she was found dead,” shared a grief-stricken Kanda.
Kanda also raised concerns about the circumstances surrounding his daughter’s stay at the university hostel. He had paid for a different hostel, yet Mercy Cherono was discovered in a different one. Furthermore, this particular hostel lacked CCTV cameras that could have provided insight into the events leading up to his child’s tragic death.
Daystar University held a requiem mass for the departed student at its Nairobi campus, but they declined to comment on the mysterious circumstances of her death.
The family is now grappling with questions and uncertainty regarding their daughter’s untimely passing, barely a week after she had been admitted to the university.
An inconclusive post-mortem examination has deepened their distress, leaving them with more questions than answers. Kanda explained, “The post-mortem report is not conclusive, samples were taken and they are yet to be released from the government chemist. The preliminary report only states that the child died of excessive bleeding due to a deep cut from knife stabbing.”
The 18-year-old Nursing student, whose future held so much promise, will be laid to rest at her parents’ home in Kapsait, Elgeyo Marakwet, on Saturday, September 15. Meanwhile, leaders from the North Rift county have called for expedited investigations to uncover the circumstances surrounding her tragic demise.
