Residents of Keumbu division in Kisii County seek justice after the mysterious disappearance and death of University of Nairobi student Frankline Ondwari.
Speaking to Education News at the bereaved family’s home, residents, including the area chief, urged security agencies to investigate the circumstances surrounding Ondwari’s death. According to his mother, Hyline Sabina, Frankline went missing on July 16 during the GenZ anti-Finance Bill protests in Nairobi.
Hyline Sabina reported the matter to Nairobi County police, who assisted in the search for her son. She recounted that on the day he went missing, they called his mobile phone, and he informed them that he had been arrested and was being held at Nairobi Central Police Station. The police allegedly demanded KSh 3,000 for his release, which the family sent via M-PESA.
“On the day he was reported missing, we rang his mobile phone and he told us that he was arrested and held at Nairobi Central Police station who wanted KSh3, 000 from him to buy his freedom and we sent it through M-PESA services,” said the tearful mother.
Frankline’s sister, Edith Nyang’arisa, confirmed that they sent the money through a friend’s mobile phone. Frankline later called to say he had been released and would contact them once he reached home. Tragically, this was the last time they heard from him.
” We later spoke on the phone, and he told me he had been released and would call me once he got home. Little did I imagine that would be the last call from him,” she narrated.
Miss Nyang’arisa told Education News that they received a police report from Nairobi that the body of her brother was found dead in a toilet.
She said that the family undertook the burden of hiring a private pathologist whose postmortem findings revealed that her brother died of strangulation.
Community members described Frankline as a calm and peaceful youth.
“He was a polite boy who hardly got into a quarrel with any of his age mates or elders,” said Gilbert Nyagaka, a local at Keumbu village.
According to the deceased’s mother, Hyline Sabina, her allegedly slain son will be laid to rest on July 31st Wednesday, at their Keumbu rural home in Nyaribari Chache Constituency of Kisii County.
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