Women MPs urge speedy probe into student's death

Four women MPs have urged police to speed up the investigations into the controversial death of University of Nairobi student Mercy Keino.

Addressing a news conference in Parliament buildings Wednesday, East African Community minister Helen Sambili, Gender minister Naomi Shaaban, assistant minister Beatrice Kones and MP Dr Joyce Laboso (Sotik) said that it was important for the mystery surrounding the night party and the allegations of foul play to be unearthed as quickly as possible.

The four, who sit in the Kenya Women Parliamentarians Association, also tasked the new Director of Public Prosecutions to ensure that the police did investigations and collect enough evidence that can withstand the scrutiny of the courts.

“The police have to ensure that complete and detailed investigations are done,” said Prof Sambili, terming the student's death as a “very sad incident”.

Dr Shabaan urged Police Commissioner Mathew Iteere to make sure that all found culpable for the death of Ms Keino are brought to book.

She then turned her focus on Ms Keino’s friends, saying that, if they were genuine friends, they wouldn’t have allowed her to leave the party at Wasini Luxury Homes unattended.

“They ought to have taken care of their friend when she reportedly stormed out of the party,” said Dr Shabaan.

She said there was an “element of carelessness” in the way the hosts at the party acted, because, “if they were genuine friends, they’d have locked her somewhere, if she was intoxicated as it is being alleged".

The MPs said that all questions being raised concerning Ms Keino’s death have to be looked at including the “allegation on attempted rape”, so that the police uncover the cause of death.

While they noted that it will be premature for them to make conclusions, they also said that the nature of some of the private parties in posh neighbourhoods of the city ought to be probed, because “illegal things might be going on in these parties".

The women then offered their counsel to the country’s youth saying that they ought to know better.

“Even though city life has lots of fun; we warn our young people that life is not about partying,” said Dr Shaaban.

She added that if the young people leave their dwellings in the city, they should be responsible and let people know where they are going, who they are with, what time they are expected to come back and how they can be contacted in case of an emergency.

“I was in the city, but my mother back home would know where I am at any given time,” said Dr Shabaan, who hails from Taita Taveta county.

Ms Keino was found dead on Waiyaki Way on June 18. A post-mortem examination report released on Tuesday failed to conclusively unravel the mystery surrounding her death and called for further investigation.