Missing varsity student returns home, rushed to hospital

Maureen Musungu

Maureen Musungu, the Strathmore University student who has been missing since May 21, 2021.

Photo credit: Pool

What you need to know:

  • The student, who is also a budding musician, reportedly told her family that she only had a shared meal of noodles and was not allowed to shower or make calls for the entire period.

The family of a 23-year-old university student who had disappeared for two weeks says she was locked up in a man's apartment.

The family said Ms Maureen Mung’ohe Musungu, a business and information technology student at Strathmore University, returned home on Friday looking disoriented and was rushed to hospital for medical checks.

“She said she had been locked up at a friend’s apartment in Athi River, Machakos County,” said Mr Morgan Ambani, a brother.

"According to her, the man claimed to have misplaced his keys, so they had no option but to stay in the house for two weeks,” Mr Ambani further explained.

The student, who is also a budding musician, reportedly told her family that she only had a shared meal of noodles and was not allowed to shower or make calls for the entire period.

This, she is said to have explained, was the reason she could not seek assistance. She added that her phone was switched off the entire time.

"We thank the Nation because we believe she was released after the story was published. That is also when the police started actively following up on the matter," Mr Ambani said. "We believe the man let her go when the story was published. She said he broke the door and let her go.”

Police are searching for the said man, whose phone signal was last traced to Machakos.

What happened

Ms Mung’ohe reportedly left their Karen home in Nairobi at 10.30am on May 21.

Mr Ambani said she was to meet friends in town before proceeding to an undisclosed location.

However, her phone was switched off at around 8.30pm before her brother could locate her.

“She had not clarified who the friends were. I called her in the evening and she said she was in Utawala, but her phone went off before we could establish her exact location,” her brother said.

The following day, the family reported the matter at Karen Police Station, where they were told to return after 48 hours. A missing person’s report was later filed at the station.

Ms Mung'ohe’s family looked for her in Utawala, Embakasi, Athi River, Rongai, Gataka, Ngong, Karen and Ngong Road.

She was to resume her classes this week after a long academic break.

"We are glad she is back home. We are waiting for her to recover before asking her for more details," said Mr Ambani.