Her name is Mercy Keino, a young beautiful college girl. She was in the University of Nairobi. Sent there by her parents...to study, to acquire those all-important life skills...for herself...and who knows, for her family too. You ALL know her story. On the fateful night of 17th June 2011, Mercy and her crew of University girls found themselves at Wasani Luxury Apartments in Westlands.
Mercy had been asked over by a female relative. And she obliged. She was in a whole, new super-posh apartment...and her host was a local politician and his guards. The drinking started, and the dancing, and the partying and the cavorting. It was pure bliss, party and getting high. But then, Mercy got mad. No one knows the reasons. She got violent, started banging things, got manhandled by the bouncers, was beaten up briefly and, shoulder-high, hauled outside the Luxury Apartments, bleeding and crying. And just some hours later, Mercy's dead body was collected along Waiyaki Way.
Mercy was no more. Up until today we have never known WHO killed Mercy. Some said she was hit by a car. Others said she was killed by plan. FACT REMAINED: The beautiful bubbly girl who had left the UON hostels just hours ago, beautifully dressed up and ready to party was NO MORE.
And Mercy had a fiancée. Who had already proposed to her and was in the process of tying the knot. Her fiancé was crushed. Broken and speechless. I watched his sad face in the newspapers. And I thanked God it wasn’t Me.
And her parents too. Her poor parents...their faces, sad, sorrowful faces couldn’t hide the total heartbreaks in their hearts.
R.I.P. Mercy Keino.
Hey University Girls,
I want you to take a moment and remember your parents at home. They struggled to get you there, to put you there.
They did all they could. Dug deep into their shallow pockets. To them, You always came first. They put aside their ambitions, their plans and desires, to EDUCATE You.
Dear Female Student,
You might be the STAR of your family. Your parents might have sent you there as their only salvation from a life of struggle, pain and poverty.
Girl, READ. I say, READ THOSE BOOKS.
We have heard a thousand stories of the madness that goes down in campus; the sexual escapades, drugs, endless partying, truancy, notoriety, careless sex and total moral degradation.
But Girl,
Dare to STAND UP above the crowd! Dare to BE that GIRL. Dare to put aside the PLEASURE for the sake of the FUTURE.
You are NOT an idiot for choosing NOT to sleep with any rich campus male. You are AN INSPIRATION.
You are NOT a jerk for choosing to avoid the fast life funded by Nairobi's Businessmen. You are A ROLE MODEL.
Be that Girl. Stand Your ground. Guard your morals and maintain THOSE principles.
At the end of the day, neither those friends, nor those wealthy, immoral rich boys care about you. THEY DONT.
The ONLY people who care about You were with you since birth. FAMILY AND GOD.
And those are the ones You should PLEASE and LIVE FOR.
I didn’t say, DONT HAVE FUN. I just said, DONT LET YOUR PEOPLE DOWN.
They NEED You. Trust Me.
Many girls qualified for University just like You. And would wish to get THAT chance. But they just couldn’t proceed.
Focus on THAT degree girl. Everything else will fall in place. Trust Me.
Rest In Peace, Miss Keino
Mercy had been asked over by a female relative. And she obliged. She was in a whole, new super-posh apartment...and her host was a local politician and his guards. The drinking started, and the dancing, and the partying and the cavorting. It was pure bliss, party and getting high. But then, Mercy got mad. No one knows the reasons. She got violent, started banging things, got manhandled by the bouncers, was beaten up briefly and, shoulder-high, hauled outside the Luxury Apartments, bleeding and crying. And just some hours later, Mercy's dead body was collected along Waiyaki Way.
Mercy was no more. Up until today we have never known WHO killed Mercy. Some said she was hit by a car. Others said she was killed by plan. FACT REMAINED: The beautiful bubbly girl who had left the UON hostels just hours ago, beautifully dressed up and ready to party was NO MORE.
And Mercy had a fiancée. Who had already proposed to her and was in the process of tying the knot. Her fiancé was crushed. Broken and speechless. I watched his sad face in the newspapers. And I thanked God it wasn’t Me.
And her parents too. Her poor parents...their faces, sad, sorrowful faces couldn’t hide the total heartbreaks in their hearts.
R.I.P. Mercy Keino.
Hey University Girls,
I want you to take a moment and remember your parents at home. They struggled to get you there, to put you there.
They did all they could. Dug deep into their shallow pockets. To them, You always came first. They put aside their ambitions, their plans and desires, to EDUCATE You.
Dear Female Student,
You might be the STAR of your family. Your parents might have sent you there as their only salvation from a life of struggle, pain and poverty.
Girl, READ. I say, READ THOSE BOOKS.
We have heard a thousand stories of the madness that goes down in campus; the sexual escapades, drugs, endless partying, truancy, notoriety, careless sex and total moral degradation.
But Girl,
Dare to STAND UP above the crowd! Dare to BE that GIRL. Dare to put aside the PLEASURE for the sake of the FUTURE.
You are NOT an idiot for choosing NOT to sleep with any rich campus male. You are AN INSPIRATION.
You are NOT a jerk for choosing to avoid the fast life funded by Nairobi's Businessmen. You are A ROLE MODEL.
Be that Girl. Stand Your ground. Guard your morals and maintain THOSE principles.
At the end of the day, neither those friends, nor those wealthy, immoral rich boys care about you. THEY DONT.
The ONLY people who care about You were with you since birth. FAMILY AND GOD.
And those are the ones You should PLEASE and LIVE FOR.
I didn’t say, DONT HAVE FUN. I just said, DONT LET YOUR PEOPLE DOWN.
They NEED You. Trust Me.
Many girls qualified for University just like You. And would wish to get THAT chance. But they just couldn’t proceed.
Focus on THAT degree girl. Everything else will fall in place. Trust Me.
Rest In Peace, Miss Keino