- Mercy Maina Wachinga’s family is seeking assistance to give the 32-year-old a dignified farewell.
- Relatives say they want to honour wishes contained in a handwritten note found after her death.
- Police are investigating the circumstances surrounding her death after her body was discovered on September 3.
The family of 32-year-old Mercy Maina Wachinga has appealed to well-wishers for financial assistance to enable them to fulfil her final wishes and give her a dignified send-off.
Mercy’s decomposed body was discovered in her rented apartment at Forhome Apartments in Nairobi’s Lavington area on September 3, nearly three weeks after residents first raised concerns over an unusual smell coming from the building.
Her family says its immediate priority is to honour a handwritten note Mercy left behind, detailing how she wanted her remains handled.
According to the note, Mercy wished to be cremated and have her ashes scattered in a river. She also urged people to stop judging others and instead embrace one another.
Her mother, Grace Nyambura Nderitu, described Mercy as an important part of her life and appealed to Kenyans to support the family in fulfilling the wishes she left behind.
“Mercy used to help me a lot. She was a very important person to me,” Nderitu said in a video shared on social media.
She said Mercy was her second-born daughter and that the family was seeking assistance of any kind to complete the final arrangements.
Mercy’s sister, Wambui Maina, echoed the appeal, saying the family simply wanted to respect the wishes their relative had expressed before her death.
Residents first raised alarm in August
Apartment manager Musa Kombo said the first alarm was raised on August 12 when residents complained about a foul smell coming from the building.
Kombo said he visited the apartment and attempted to establish the source of the smell. However, Mercy did not respond when her door was knocked, nor did she answer calls made to her phone.
The matter was later reported to officers at Muthangari Police Station on September 3.
Police officers went to the apartment, forced open the door and found Mercy’s body lying on her bed in an advanced state of decomposition.
Police are treating Mercy’s death as a suspected suicide as investigations continue into the circumstances surrounding her death and the handwritten note recovered from the apartment.
READ ALSO: Former student who organised school strikes searches for principal she once hated to apologise
Her family is now appealing to friends, relatives and well-wishers for support as it raises the resources needed to honour her final wishes and give her a respectful farewell.
The family said any form of assistance would be appreciated as they come to terms with the loss.
By Kithinji Njeru
Get more stories from our website: Education News
To write to us or offer feedback, you can reach us at: editor@educationnews.co.ke
You can also follow our social media pages on Twitter: Education News KE and Facebook: Education News Newspaper for timely updates.
>> Click here to stay up-to-date with trending regional stories
