Vivian Kajaya, 22-year-old Mount Kenya University student, who was found dead in Kiamunyi on October 14.
When Ms Eunice Mideva last spoke to her daughter, Vivian Kajaya last Saturday, it was a typical mother-daughter chat filled with love and plans.
She had asked her 22-year-old to visit their Kawangware home in Nairobi, not knowing it would be the last conversation they would ever have.
Two days later, the Mt Kenya University student’s lifeless body was discovered 171 kilomteres away in a maize plantation in Nakuru’s Kiamunyi estate, murdered under circumstances still unclear.
In an interview with Nation.Africa, Ms Mideva on Thursday revealed it had been six months since she last saw Vivian, who schooled at the university’s main campus in Thika, Kiambu County, and she missed her.
In the phone call, she said, Vivian, who was pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Social Work and Administration, assured her that she was still in school and that they would see each other soon.
Vivian Kajaya, the 22-year-old student at Mt Kenya University whose body was found dumped in a maize plantation in Kiamunyi, Nakuru County on October 15, 2024.
What seemed like a simple request to see her child became the haunting memory of the final phone call.
Her daughter’s body was discovered by locals passing through the maize plantation.
City mortuary
The news spread rapidly, and Ms Mideva received the devastating confirmation of her daughter's death from Kajaya's aunt after seeing reports on social media about a university student found murdered.
Speaking at the Salgaa Police Station on Wednesday, after recording her statement, a heartbroken Ms Mideva recalled how she was unaware that her daughter had travelled to Nakuru.
The family had no idea Vivian was even in the area.
She said the shocking news left them shattered especially after they travelled to Nakuru to view her body at the city mortuary.
"We spoke last Saturday. I asked her why she hadn't visited us for so long, and she said she spent most weekends doing school work and chores—Saturday in the library, and Sunday doing laundry. Two days later, I identified her body at the morgue. She was healthy when we talked. Now, she's gone," Ms Mideva said, fighting back tears.
Ms Eunice Mideva, mother of the late Vivian Kajaya, speaks to the media at Salgaa Police Station on October 16, 2024.
Vivian joined Mount Kenya University in 2022 and was staying in the school’s hostel during her first year, before moving into a rented house in her second year.
Despite her humble upbringing, Ms Mideva had done everything possible to ensure her daughter stayed in school and pursued her dreams.
Stolen future
“I roast maize by the roadside to raise money for my family. Vivian was so promising. She told me when she finished school, she’d start a business so I wouldn’t have to be out in the rain selling maize. But her killers have stolen her future. My hope was in her and now she's gone,” she said.
Ms Mideva described her daughter as respectful and quick to seek forgiveness whenever she was wrong.
She also expressed confusion over why Vivian was in Nakuru, as the family had no relatives there.
"I don't know what she was doing in Nakuru. We have no family here. I am in shock, with so many unanswered questions. I hope the investigators find the truth."
Shocked residents of Kiamunyi in Nakuru gaze at a lifeless body of a 22-year-old Mt Kenya University Student who was found dead in a maize plantation. The deceased was also raped according to police who have so far launched investigations into the murder.
Vivian’s education journey was not without challenges, but she had always excelled.
After attending Angel Kawangware School until Standard Five, she was transferred to Kamimei Primary School in Nandi County, where she lived with her aunt, according to her mother.
She later joined Kamimei Secondary School, completing her secondary education in 2021 with a mean grade of C+, and earning placement at Mount Kenya University.
“She was a bright child and her younger siblings looked up to her. I did my best to support her by paying her rent, buying her groceries, and refilling her gas. Since she was a government-sponsored student, she was able to get a HELB loan for her school fees,” the mother said.
Patrick Majai addresses the media at Salgaa Police Station on October 16, 2024. He is the step-father of Vivian Kajaya, the 22-year-old Mt Kenya Student who was raped, killed and her body dumped in a maize planation in Kiamunyi, Nakuru County on Tuesday.
Vivian’s father, Patrick Majai said that his daughter's death had come as an overwhelming blow to the family.
They are grappling with the reality and unanswered questions surrounding her murder.
The family is also seeking financial help to cover the costs of her postmortem examination and funeral expenses.
Vivian’s aunt, Everlyne Imbosa called for swift justice, urging authorities to investigate her niece’s death and bring those responsible to account.
“It was so heartbreaking seeing her lifeless body lying in the morgue. She didn’t have any visible injuries, and the cause of death is still unclear. We need answers,” she demanded.
Rongai Sub-County Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) officer, Donnata Otieno, who is handling the case, declined to provide extensive details, stating only that investigations were ongoing.
However, preliminary findings pointed to a grim scenario of both murder and rape.
