'Forced abortion': Detectives heighten probe on varsity student's death
Pallbearers carry to the grave the remains of Regina Wairimu, 22, on February 21, 2023, who until her death was a fourth-year engineering student at the Dedan Kimathi University in Nyeri County.
Detectives have heightened investigations into a case where a 22-year-old Dedan Kimathi University of Technology student is alleged to have died in a suspected case of forced abortion.
By the time she died on February 12, Regina Wairimu was a fourth-year student pursuing telecommunication and electrical engineering.
Nyeri County Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) boss John Gacheru on Monday said a number of people had recorded statements over the death and that the suspects will soon be nabbed.
“A detailed report has not yet been released. We are still probing some phone calls and arrests will be made. A postmortem was done and statements have been written by several people,” Mr Gacheru said.
On February 17, Dr Bill Muriuki conducted an autopsy on Wairimu’s body, as well as on the foetus.
“The uterus contains products of conception…placenta seen…walls of the uterus have multiple lesions seen,” the pathological report says.
The pathologist adds: “As a result of my examination, I formed the opinion that the cause of death was as a result of severe haemorrhage.”
The DCI boss has asked for patience saying: “I request that you give us time because if we disclose too much information, it will interfere with our investigations”.
But Wairimu’s family is still agonising over her death and demanding answers from the police.
Progress report
On Monday, her father –Kenneth Kinyanjui– said they have not received any progress report from the detectives regarding summons and arrests in connection to Ms Wairimu’s death.
“The detectives have told me to provide them with any new information regarding that matter. I am wondering what new information they want yet we gave them all the details. They say that no development has been made so far. We are still in darkness,” Mr Kinyanjui said.
Ms Wairimu had requested for deferment of studies from January to September 2023, an indication that she was willing to keep the baby.
At the time of the start of the deferment, her postnatal clinic records show that she was 7 and half months pregnant, and in one of her notebooks is Valentine’s Day message that reads: “To my unborn son … I love you. My baby daddy is bringing complications since he is powerful and influential … But I must give birth to you and show you momma love.”
According to a police signal shared with Nation.Africa, a woman, whose name is withheld due to the ongoing investigations, reported that her friend (Ms Wairimu) had succumbed to abortion while ferrying her for treatment at the Nyeri County Referral hospital.
It stated that police officers visited the scene where the deceased spent before the incident at the reportee’s house at Kangemi estate in Nyeri town.
“Police officers established that the deceased spent the previous night at the reportee’s house together with another female friend until around 2am when she complained of abdominal pain. They rushed her for treatment at the Dedan Kimathi health facility then Nyeri County Referral Hospital where she was pronounced dead,” the police signal read.
Male foetus
The signal also revealed that the scene had stains of blood on the carpet and a dead full-term male foetus wrapped in a black handbag.
The two female friends carried the deceased’s luggage while taking her for treatment.
“The scene was processed and the body with no visible injuries and foetus moved to Nyeri County Referral Hospital mortuary," police added.
The two women were questioned by the DCI before being released later.
Ms Wairimu and her baby were buried in one casket in Macegeca village, Kandara constituency in Muranga County last week, with her parents demanding justice.
“If it was an abortion she needed, we are not a poor family and she could have tricked us into sending her money. In fact, I had on Thursday sent her Sh7,000 and that Saturday, she had paid the hostel she was staying in. She could not have sought a study deferment of nine months so as to go seeking a crude abortion. After all the lies that her friends peddled, it is now time for the truth,” said Ms Wairimu’s mother, Ms Wambui, then.
Her father said: “This whole issue reeks of manipulation, stage management and a deliberate push to sell a narrative that is illogical, illiterate and outright unacceptable and for justice, we as a family are ready to pawn the last of our heritage.”
He said that the university did not notify him that his daughter had applied for a deferment of studies.
“I only came to be shown the application when she was already dead.”
