- Hillary Muhalya retraces the final reported movements of MKU student Vivian Kajaya before her death in 2024.
- The 22-year-old had travelled from Thika to Nakuru to meet a man she reportedly barely knew.
- Her story provides a sobering context for discussing practical personal safety among university students without blaming victims.
A 22-year-old Mount Kenya University student travelled from Thika to Nakuru to meet a man she had known for less than two weeks. Hours after reportedly telling a friend that she wanted to return to Nairobi following an argument, her phone went silent. Two days later, her body was found in a maize plantation, with her pink handbag lying nearby.
Vivian Kajaya, a third-year Bachelor of Social Work and Administration student at Mount Kenya University’s main campus in Thika, left Thika on Saturday, October 12, 2024.
She travelled to Nakuru to meet a man she had reportedly known for less than two weeks.
By Monday, she had been reported missing at Makongeni Police Station in Thika.
On October 14, her body was discovered in a maize plantation in Kiamunyi, Rongai Sub-County, Nakuru.
Her pink handbag was found nearby.
Inside were her identification documents and a 2NK bus receipt linking her to the journey from Thika to Nakuru. Her phone was missing.
The discovery marked the beginning of an investigation into the circumstances surrounding her death.
According to accounts from people close to Vivian, she had been communicating with the man for less than two weeks.
She reportedly described him as wealthy and said he drove a Range Rover.
The two had previously met in Thika and reportedly visited a hospital for HIV testing.
The man was also said to have bought Vivian clothes and groceries, given her cash and later provided her with a phone reportedly worth about KSh11,500.
Vivian had also been in a longer-term relationship with another man, who was away attending a burial in Meru at the time.
The journey to Nakuru
Before leaving Thika, Vivian reportedly told a close friend about her plans.
The friend expressed concern and offered to accompany her.
Vivian declined and boarded a 2NK matatu to Nakuru.
At about 5pm, she contacted her friend and confirmed that she had arrived safely. She reportedly offered to share her live location.
Later that evening, she called another friend and reportedly said she was stranded at the Nakuru bus station after the man had cancelled their plans.
She needed money to return to Nairobi.
She subsequently called again and said the man had arrived.
According to accounts from her friends, he picked her up at about 5:30pm.
Her final call
At around 9pm, Vivian reportedly called a male friend.
She asked him not to sleep or switch off his phone.
According to the account given by her friends, she said she had argued with the man and intended to return to Nairobi that night.
Her friends prepared to meet her.
She did not arrive.
There was no further communication from her.
Her phone later went off.
The search
Sunday passed without contact.
Calls failed and messages went unanswered.
On Monday, a friend reported Vivian missing at Makongeni Police Station in Thika.
Reports of a body found in Kiamunyi led friends to the discovery of her pink handbag.
The identification documents inside helped establish the identity of the deceased.
The bus receipt provided evidence connecting Vivian to the journey from Thika to Nakuru.
A post-mortem examination was conducted by government pathologist Titus Ngulungu.
It established manual strangulation as the cause of death.
The examination also documented injuries consistent with sexual assault and indicated that Vivian’s nose and mouth had been covered during the attack.
Samples were collected for further forensic analysis.
These findings established medical facts about the circumstances of her death. They did not, by themselves, establish who was responsible.
Police began reconstructing Vivian’s final movements.
Investigators sought to establish who picked her up, where she was taken, whom she encountered and what happened after she left the Nakuru bus station.
Her missing phone was potentially significant to the investigation.
Witnesses were interviewed and statements recorded.
Reports indicated that detectives were pursuing a suspect connected to the man Vivian had travelled to meet.
Investigators also sought information about places Vivian and the man were reportedly seen, including a hotel in the Kiamunyi area and a hospital.
The available reports did not establish a final court determination of responsibility.
Vivian’s mother, Eunice Mideva, did not know her daughter had travelled to Nakuru.
The two had spoken days earlier.
Mideva had asked why Vivian had not visited home for several months.
Vivian reportedly explained that weekends were occupied by schoolwork and laundry and promised that they would meet.
Vivian had scored a C+ in KCSE and secured a government-sponsored place at Mount Kenya University.
She was studying Social Work and Administration and was the firstborn in her family.
Her mother sold roasted maize in Kawangware.
Vivian reportedly hoped to establish a business after completing her education so that her mother could move away from the difficult work of selling roasted maize.
That future ended before she could realise it.
The following is general safety advice, not evidence about Vivian’s case.
University students increasingly meet new people through campus life, social media, mutual friends and other networks. When meeting someone who is still relatively unfamiliar, practical precautions can reduce exposure to avoidable risks.
Students should consider:
- Tell someone you trust where you are going, who you are meeting and when you expect to return.
- Meet new acquaintances in public places, particularly during the early stages of knowing them.
- Maintain independent transport money and a reliable way of getting home.
- Keep your phone charged and accessible.
- Use location sharing where appropriate, particularly when travelling to an unfamiliar place.
- Take discomfort seriously. If a situation becomes threatening or unsafe, leave and seek assistance.
- Do not treat gifts, money, romantic attention or someone’s apparent wealth as proof of trustworthiness. Getting to know a person takes time.
- Respond seriously when a friend reports feeling unsafe or stranded. Continue checking on them and seek appropriate help if communication suddenly stops.
These precautions do not imply that victims are responsible for crimes committed against them. Responsibility for a crime rests with the perpetrator.
The unanswered hours
The known timeline ends with Vivian’s final reported call, followed by the loss of communication and the discovery of her body two days after she left Thika.
The post-mortem established strangulation as the cause of death, while investigators continued examining her final movements and the people she encountered.
For her family, the unanswered hours remain part of the tragedy.
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For university students, her story is a reminder to combine independence with practical safety when navigating new relationships and unfamiliar environments.
By Hillary Muhalya
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