Mystery of varsity student who died during party in Murang’a

Four people have been arrested following the mysterious death of a Chuka University student in Murang’a, County Criminal Investigations Officer Julius Rutere has said.

The four, two female students of Murang’a and Pwani universities, a male student at Murang’a University and a mason in Murang’a town were arrested on Wednesday, a day after a post-mortem examination contradicted their version that the student died in hospital where she had allegedly been taken after she complained of stomach complications.

The post-mortem examination revealed that she was strangled to death.

PARTY

Maureen Wanjiku Mwihaki, 22, had attended the graduation party of her childhood friend who graduated on Friday from Murang’a University and later died on Sunday morning after what her colleagues said were stomach complications.

But a post-mortem examination on her body revealed that she died of strangulation.

According to her guardian, Mr David Njoroge Maina, Ms Mwihaki, who completed her agribusiness degree studies at Chuka University in April and was set to graduate in October, had sought permission to attend the graduation of her friend on Friday and later called home informing them that she would spend the night at the party.

LAST COMMUNICATION

Mr Maina said that was the last communication she made to the family.

On Saturday morning calls to her phone went unanswered.

Her guardian said that when her friends responded to their calls, they said they had taken her to hospital after stomach she developed complications.

“The deceased was in the company of two ladies whom the family knows – the one who was graduating and another, still from our village. In fact, before attending the graduation party of their colleague, they had spent time at our home. But how the two decided not to inform us when our daughter fell ill we can’t understand,” Mr Maina said.

KIHARU VISIT

He said Ms Mwihaki’s friends later disclosed that the three visited a man in Kiharu estate on Friday where they spent the night partying.

They alleged that Ms Mwihaki developed complications on Saturday morning but they took her to the hospital in the evening. All this time they were not responding to calls.

“On Sunday morning, they called my father and informed him that his grandchild was not well and that they had taken her to Murang’a General Hospital where she was pronounced dead on arrival. We went to the hospital and found her dead.

“Interestingly, she was in a man’s clothes and had no bra and pants. The post-mortem examination contradicted the whole story by her colleagues after showing that she died of strangulation,” Mr Maina said.

PRIVATE CLINIC

He said they later learnt that Ms Mwihaki was taken to the hospital by a doctor working at a private clinic and wants the police to unravel the mystery.

“We want to understand why the story changed from stomach complications to strangulation and how a doctor from a private health facility even produced a car and volunteered to take her to Murang’a General Hospital. We feel the narrative by the deceased’s friends could be a well-choreographed script to hide the truth and the real perpetrator of the heinous act,” Mr Maina told the Nation.

Mr Maina claimed that the investigating officer refused to give them the post-mortem report, adding that the family now fears that the report may be interfered with to deny their daughter, who was their only hope, justice.

AUTOPSY REPORT

“The doctor wrote the report in our presence. We were never given any of the three copies despite us insisting and we fear that it may be tampered with to hide the truth. We want the DCI to intervene,” he stated.

Murang’a East OCPD Alexander Muasya said the university student was pronounced dead at Murang’a District Hospital on Sunday.

Mr Muasya said the police are working to establish the cause of her death as well as tracing her last moments on Friday night.

“We have started investigations to establish the cause of the student’s death and we shall ensure she gets justice even if she is dead,” he said.