Lessons from first-degree crimes of passion

A female student in Moi University is coming to terms with the fact that she is the alleged reason a male learner killed his colleague last Monday, with behavioural experts calling for closer monitoring of campus relationships to curb rising cases of love-related murders.

In the past few months, at least six university students have died due to disputes emanating from relationships - incidents that sociologist Hadija Murenga says are “isolated but worth paying attention to”.

“Previously, it was more of the affected students taking their own lives. But now, the trend is changing and the offended tend to kill,” Dr Khadija said. “And maybe for some of them (the killings), it could be coupled with drugs and all that.”

The Monday incident at Moi University’s Eldoret Town campus is the latest in a list of university learners’ deaths at the hands of their colleagues.

Steve Wairimu, a fourth year hotel and hospitality management student, died at a hostel outside the university after being stabbed by a first year student he found in the room of a girl he had gone to visit.

The suspected killer was put under police custody before a mob could kill him.

Eight days earlier, a University of Nairobi student died after his girlfriend stabbed him for allegedly posting another woman’s photo on his Facebook account.

Kelvin Ikatwa, 25, was also a Wazito FC player. He was stabbed with a kitchen knife in the evening of March 15 and died at the doorstep of his house outside the campus.

Two weeks earlier, on February 26, a fourth year female student at Egerton University was stabbed dead by her boyfriend, a casual worker.

The crime occurred at the student’s rented room in Njoro and the assailant was later killed by a mob. The couple left behind a four-month-old baby.

On July 12, 2015, a 23-year-old female student at Moi University’s Eldoret West Campus was stabbed dead by her ex-boyfriend in her campus room. The assailant was later killed by a mob.

The incident was preceded by the murder of a 21-year-old female student at the University of Kabianga.

She was stabbed by her boyfriend in her hostel room on April 26, 2015, for allegedly cheating on him.

"DATING MARKET"

Weighing in on the litany of cases, Dr Murenga said the university was a “dating market” that most youths enter without any guidance, which is likely to end disastrously when things go wrong.

“Traditionally, a child born in a village belonged to the entire village. So dating was monitored, checked and controlled. Once villagers saw young people together frequently, the families were informed,” she said. “But today these people are coming into this dating market which we call the university without any preparation.”

A strange thread running across the incidents is the scene of death - outside the campus.

“The [university] management does not go out there to police how they live. So a number of students cohabit. If they do, and if things turn sour, you are likely to get one or two cases like that,” said Dr Murenga, who works at Egerton Univerity. 

And according to Eldoret South police boss Isa Manja, relationships among students should not be tolerated.

“Love affairs among students should be discouraged. Parents struggle to pay their fees and they should appreciate this by concentrating on their studies until the right time,” Mr Manja said following Monday’s occurrence.

The Sunday Nation held an online discussion with 25 students in five universities and the overriding observation was that students tend to rush into each other’s arms without precaution.

The students, drawn from the University of Nairobi, Moi University, Kenyatta University, the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology and the United States International University, had different opinions on why a student would kill a colleague for love.

“It’s a spirit that enters you without knowing. It forces you to kill. After doing so, the spirit laughs at you. Regret follows. If you don’t have intentions to kill, you wouldn’t stab someone eight times in the chest; No,” said a Moi University student who identified himself simply as Duncan.

“Very few people have the intention of killing. All that is in their mind is to teach the person a lesson,” observed Joram Kanai, a civil engineering student at Moi University.

“Movies and high school environments have caused great damage,” said Samuel Ranja from the University of Nairobi.

Paul Mwendwa, a first year student at the campus where the latest killing happened, said some students’ backgrounds were to blame. “What they have endured in life, the past pain in them, has always waited for the moment to strike,” he posted.

CAMPUS RELATIONSHIPS

The students faulted some of their colleagues who got too immersed in campus relationships at the expense of academics.

Faith Wangari, a third year student at Moi University, took a swipe at female students who camp at male students’ hostels “happily assuming all the roles of a wife while he’s busy playing you and, of course, getting clean As in his transcripts”.

Sally Kym from the same institution said: “I know of women who get involved with the wrong guys simply because these guys buy them stuff and give them a sense of security.”

Esther Opiyo, a second year student at Kenyatta University, said the killings were more rampant in public universities because of the calibre of students there.

“These murders (no offence intended) are committed by guys who get to campus from ocha (the countryside) and the likes, or those whose movement was monitored,” she said.

Kenyatta University’s Caroline Mumbi added: “Everyone (at home) became so busy making money. The youth were “left to be taught by the world.”

Moi University’s Eddy Ashioya asked students to define their relationships: “Are you my main chic? My side chic? Or are we just friends with benefits? Suffice it to say, I know a guy who has all these, and they all know each other.”