Teen who went viral during protests died from carbon monoxide poisoning, post-mortem says
The late Immaculate Nekesa Magero.
What you need to know:
- The 19-year-old had only been enrolled for a month at Sigalagala National Polytechnic.
- The body of the deceased was discovered in her rented house in Kakamega County last Friday.
Immaculate Nekesa, the 19-year-old student whose video went viral during the nationwide Gen-Z protests, tragically died of suffocation due to carbon monoxide poisoning.
An autopsy conducted at Kakamega County General Teaching and Referral Hospital on Monday, October 14, revealed that smoke suspected to have emanated from a charcoal jiko choked key organs of her body, including the brain.
Her mother, Martha Nanjala, told Nation.Africa that the family witnessed the autopsy before they transferred her body to Bungoma County Referral Hospital ahead of her burial on November 2, 2024.
“As a family, we are traumatised with the death of our firstborn who was jovial, hardworking and disciplined,” she said.
The bereaved mother said burial plans are ongoing and that her daughter would be buried at their home in Musikoma village in Bungoma County on November 2, 2024.
Nekesa became a brief sensation during the youth-led anti-Finance Bill demonstrations in June when a video of her excitedly engaging with anti-riot police officers in a patrol car in Bungoma town vehicle went viral.
The body of Nekesa, who was popularly known as Ashley Magero, was discovered in her rented house at Sigalagala in Kakamega County last Friday.
It is suspected that she could have died two days before her body was found.
Nekesa had only been enrolled for a month at Sigalagala National Polytechnic where she was pursuing a certificate course in Catering and Accommodation.
Her last conversation with her father was on Monday last week when she requested for a course uniform which was required by Friday, October 11, deadline - the day when her lifeless body was found.
Akedaz Lutta, who grew up with Ms Nekesa in Bungoma County, said she was yet to settle in college having helped her secure the house where she lived at the time of her tragic death.
“She initially wanted to join Eldoret National polytechnic but I convinced her to join me here,” said Mr Lutta.
While her body was discovered around 10am on Friday, she sent her last message to her childhood friend on Tuesday at 9.05pm.
Mr Lutta said they had communicated through WhatsApp but his poor network delayed his response before he fell asleep.
“I responded when I woke up on Wednesday morning but my message was not delivered. I assumed she was busy and headed to class,” he said.
On Thursday, he expected to meet Ms Nekesa during Freshers’ Day at the polytechnic grounds but got concerned when she failed to turn up and respond to his calls and text messages.
“I got disturbed on Thursday night and wondered what could have happened to her. I attended my first class on Friday morning then decided to pass by her place,” he said.
Mr Lutta panicked when he saw water droplets that had formed from inside the window.
“I tried to check whether the door was locked and found no padlock but realised that it was locked from the inside,” he said.
Without wasting time, he sought help and the neighbours and the landlady, Ms Brenda Nanjala Wekesa responded.
Alarmed by the call Ms Wekesa informed the local authorities, the school administration and the police who rushed to the scene and broke into the hosue.
“Inside the room they found Nekesa lying on the floor, a cooking gas still on with a burnt plate on top of it while a charcoal jiko that had already extinguished lay nearby,” she said.
Ms Wekesa, who had only known the deceased for two weeks, described her as a quiet girl who rarely hosted visitors.
Another neighbour, Debra Akoth, said although they lived in the same compound, she had only interacted with Ms Nekesa on two occasions and did not know her well.
On the other hand, Clinton Murubi, a second year student, said he was one of the first people to help the deceased settle into her new environment.
“She sought assistance from me on how to fill out forms for Higher Education Loans Board (Helb) and scholarships,” Murubi recalled.
Murubi said he last spoke to Nekesa on Sunday during a concert organised by the students at the school grounds where she mentioned that she was slowly adapting to campus life.
