A family in Uasin Gishu County is mourning the death of June Chebet Kili, a Kenyan student who passed away in Australia just weeks before her scheduled graduation.
June reportedly died on Sunday, June 1, 2026, while undergoing treatment at Calvary Mater Hospital in New South Wales, Australia.
She was the daughter of prominent Uasin Gishu farmer George Kili and had been pursuing higher education at the University of Newcastle since 2024. June was expected to graduate on June 26, marking the culmination of years of academic dedication and hard work.
Family members described her as a focused, ambitious and hardworking student who was deeply committed to achieving her educational goals. According to relatives, she had planned to return to Kenya after completing her studies to pursue her career and contribute to national development.
Her death has sent shockwaves through the Kenyan community in Australia, particularly in Newcastle, where friends and fellow Kenyans have been gathering for daily prayer meetings and support sessions.
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“Family, friends and the community are meeting every evening for prayer and support at 1/58 Devon Street, Wallsend, NSW 2287,” read a community announcement circulated among mourners.
The loss has reignited conversations about the challenges and emotional toll faced by Kenyan families with children studying abroad, especially when tragedy strikes far from home.
June’s death comes at a time when another family from Uasin Gishu is grappling with a similar tragedy following the death of Benina Chepkoech in Canada.
Chepkoech died in a road accident on May 17 in British Columbia after the vehicle she was travelling in reportedly lost control and plunged into the Thompson River.
Her body was recovered weeks later, bringing an end to an agonising period of uncertainty for her family and friends.
The recovery provided some measure of closure as tributes continued to pour in from both Kenya and Canada, where she had been building a new life.
Chepkoech had relocated to Canada in 2025 in search of better opportunities and was working multiple jobs as she settled into her new environment. Friends and colleagues remembered her as hardworking, determined and ambitious.
Authorities in Canada are continuing investigations into the circumstances surrounding the crash as they seek to establish the cause of the accident.
The two deaths have left families, friends and communities in Kenya and abroad united in grief as they remember the lives and aspirations of two young women whose journeys were cut short.
By Frank Mugwe
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