Tears of joy, prayers of thanksgiving as survivors arrive home, recount ordeal

Survivors of the terrorist attack at Garissa University College arrived home on Monday to emotional reunions with family members who have been on tenterhooks ever since the attack took place.

For Emmanuel Mramba, 21, who survived Thursday’s attack which claimed the lives of 142 students, the four-day wait before he got home seemed like eternity for his family in Jilore village, Kilifi County.

The same applied to Ms Faith Kaungu from Chengoni, Rabai, Kilifi County.

Faith was a second year Bachelor of Arts in Economics student while Emmanuel, also in second, was pursuing a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics.

Emmanuel who had been composed throughout the journey from Mtwapa, where the Nation crew connected with him, broke down at the sight of his parents and siblings.

He flew into the arms of his mother Elizabeth Karabu as other family members looked on. They also got their turn to hug him as tears flowed freely.

His father, Mr Geoffrey Kenga, a retired Kenya Navy warrant officer broke the silence: “I thank God, I have seen my son. I thought he would arrive home dead or badly hurt,” he said.

Emmanuel then narrated his ordeal: “I remember it was 5:45am. My roommates heard gunshots and started running out. I jumped from my bed dressed only in boxer shorts and towel.”

He could hear the invaders order his colleagues in Kiswahili to repeat a sentence about President Uhuru Kenyatta withdrawing KDF from Somalia.

He escaped to an incomplete building by climbing a small Neem tree to reach the iron-sheet fence. He scaled the fence and was rescued by a kind Somali family that gave him clothes and later took him to Garissa Provincial General Hospital.

Faith arrived home early Sunday morning and was received by her father Mr Evans Nzai and other family members.

When the Nation team arrived at the home, the family and neighbours were praying. They also brought in all manner of gifts including chicken and goats to welcome her back.

Faith recalls that on that fateful morning, most of her friends had attended a morning Christian service in the lecture hall.

There was a blackout and all of a sudden, gunshots rung out from different directions. She remembered somebody loudly commanding the students in Kiswahili to chant and recite Quran verses and demanding that President Kenyatta pull out KDF from Somalia.

“We ran into the room with my friend Maureen Onjuma and hid in a wardrobe. We were there from around 5.30am to 7pm when we were rescued by a KDF officer.

“All that time, it was hell. We could hear our colleagues being shot and were lucky nobody came to open the wardrobe.”

'SMELL OF BLOOD'

In Eldoret, Benard Cheruiyot, 22, a second year Bachelor of Education student, too, recalled how he hid in a wardrobe from 5.30am to 6pm as gunshots rent the air around their hostel.

“I could hear them shooting indiscriminately and ordering those who had taken refuge under beds to come out. The smell of blood filled the room,” said Cheruiyot in the company of his mother Everline Kirwa and uncle, Mr Timothy Tanui.

Celestine Jerotich, also 22, from Cheptil survived the onslaught after she hid in a latrine with her friend.

“We could hear the terrorists ordering our classmates to get out of their hideouts promising that those who would cooperate would be spared. However, immediately they got out they were shot. They killed men first before turning their guns on the helpless girls,” said the soft-spoken Celestine accompanied by her father Philip Sawe and Brother Alphonce Korir.

In Kisii County, tears greeted the arrival of the students.

Parents, friends and close relatives who had camped outside the Governor’s office could not hide their joy as the NYS bus, which had transported them from Nairobi, arrived in Kisii town.

Kisii Deputy Governor Joash Maangi and Chief Officer Administration Patrick Lumumba received the students.

Geoffrey Ongeri, a second year student narrated how he and his friends managed to run out of the hostel after being woken up by gunshots.

Their chance came when a terrorist stopped shooting to load his gun. “I seized the chance together with other students and raced towards the college fence. We scaled the fence then ran to a nearby police station and alerted the police of the attack,” he recalled.

Mango Ochwangi, another student, also recalled how their student leader Laban Kumba wrestled with one the terrorists. “But he was overpowered and shot dead as I watched,” he says.

PLAYED DEAD

In Kericho, Governor Paul Chepkwony led residents in receiving the returning students at Moi Gardens in Kericho Town.

Mr Bervin Cheruiyot, a former students’ union chairman told of how he smeared blood on his face and neck and played dead.

The 22-year old, second-year Bachelor of Arts Education student said the attackers kicked and hit him three times to ascertain he was dead.

“They were hitting me with the butt of an AK-47 rifle. I heard one of them tell another ‘huyo amekufa, achana na yeye’ (that one is gone, leave him alone).”

A tearful Cheruiyot said: “I still do not know why I am still alive but I believe that this is the work of God.  Unlike most of my colleagues, I was unable to run away from the terrorists as I had sustained an injury a few weeks earlier on the handball pitch.”

Other students from Kericho county who were rescued by the Recce squad officers and who arrived with him in Kericho are second year Bachelor of Business management students Beatrice Chebet, 22, Kipyegon Geoffrey, 20, and Mathew Korir, 21.

Others were second year Bachelor of Arts Education students Denis Kirui, 19, and Clement Kiprob and 18-year old first year bachelor of Arts Education student Moses Cheruiyot.

In Mwingi, residents lined up the Thika-Garissa highway to welcome the 12 NYS buses ferrying the students home.

One of their own, Juliana Mutua, 24, a first year Bachelor’s of Education student alighted at Mwingi town to wild cheers from the crowd.

By Duncan Ageta, Magati Obebo, Timothy Kemei, Benedict Mutuku, Henry Nyarora, Wycliff Kipsang, Stanley Kimuge and Bozo Jenje.