A Baringo family is seeking justice for their 23-year-old daughter, who died under mysterious circumstances three days after arriving in Dublin, Ireland, where she was studying abroad.
The deceased, who left Kenya for Ireland eight months ago to pursue further research, traveled to Kenya for a week’s holiday last month but died three days after arriving in Dublin two weeks ago. Ta.
On January 27, Brigid Jemosop, 23, from Kabargozi village in Baringo North, landed at Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in Nairobi from Dublin, Ireland, where she had been staying for the past eight months.
Bridget Jemosop Candy from Kabargozi, Baringo North, and her mother Sarah Candy at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) on June 4, 2023, after studying abroad in Dublin, Ireland for the first time.
She planned to spend a week vacation in Kenya and then return home to pursue a bachelor’s degree in nursing while working part-time.
Her family said she was in good spirits when they picked her up at the airport and had spent a few days in Nairobi and Mombasa before visiting her home in Kabanet, Baringo Central.
On February 6, she visited some relatives in her rural home before traveling to Nairobi to catch a flight to Ireland the next day.
The baby, the last of a family of four, was escorted to the airport by her sisters and several other relatives, and she called to say she had arrived safely at her destination, said her mother, Sarah Candy.
Two weeks ago, Brigid was on her way from Dublin, Ireland to Kenya.
Photo credit: Courtesy of family
Two days later, the mother of four said she also received a call from her daughter, who said she was at Dublin airport to pick up the Cabanet girls, who were also going there to study, and that she was going to pick them up. He said he was told that he would be accepted.
She said that on February 11, just three days after arriving in Ireland, Brigid called her at around 5.08pm, claiming she wanted to speak to her brother, who did not have a phone at the time.
“I handed the phone to her brother, but I felt something was wrong. A few minutes later, I noticed her brother, who had moved a little ways away, crying and snatched the phone. I asked him what was wrong.
She suggested she was stressed, but insisted it had nothing to do with money. “She told me that her boyfriend allegedly locked her in her house, but she should have gone to her job,” Candy said.
She also claimed that her boyfriend had previously threatened to stab her and that she feared for her life.
Her mother said her boyfriend had tried to stab her the day before. However, she insisted that she would handle the case herself.
“I told her to call the authorities, but she said she had already done so. I also advised her to inform a fellow student from Cabanet who we lived with in the same city. , she insisted she would take care of it,” her mother said.
That was the last time her family heard from her, after unsuccessful attempts to reach her by phone, only to receive word two days later from relatives and friends that she was no longer with her.
Nation Africa visited the Kaprogonya family’s home on the outskirts of Kabanet town on Monday and found the atmosphere somber.
Ms Jemosop’s family and relatives were shocked, but memories of the week-long gathering with her daughter, who was lying dead overseas, were still fresh. All that remains of her now are the photos I took two weeks ago when I had fun with her at her house and when I saw her off at the airport.
“I am pleading with the government to give justice for my daughter who died shortly after arriving in Dublin. She did not seem upset or unwell during the few days she spent with us. Instead of showing her, I accompanied her to buy things to take home,” said the distraught mother.
Bridget Gemosop Kandy on holiday in Mombasa two weeks ago.
Photo credit: Courtesy of family
“My daughter was an outgoing person and everyone wanted to socialize with her. I am still in shock over the circumstances surrounding her death,” said the grieving mother.
Their last born daughter, Brigid, completed her secondary education in 2018 and then enrolled at the Kenya Medical Training College (KMTC) in Nairobi to study nursing.
Last June, she secured the opportunity to go to Dublin to pursue her studies and work at the same time.
“Last month, she called me and said she wanted to come home and say hello to us,” Candy said, adding that she was welcomed by the JKIA sisters and was doing very well.
According to the family, friends in Dublin claimed that she committed suicide and died while receiving treatment at a medical facility.
“We have not received any official communication from the Irish authorities regarding the circumstances surrounding her death.
They are insisting that the family go there to publish the autopsy results and release the body for repatriation, and we have to look for money to facilitate the trip there. So I’m asking for help,” the mother said.
Viktor Kiprotich, the deceased’s brother, said he spoke to his sister after he received a phone call from his sister on Sunday, February 11 and asked him to hand over the phone to their mother.
“She called me and Brigid insisted that I leave my mother’s place first because we needed to talk, which I did. We loved each other very much. I love her, but she seemed so let down that day. As soon as we started talking, she broke down in tears, was very upset, and was locked in the house by her boyfriend who had left. “We insisted that we were there,” Kiprotić said.
The brother advised her to call security to resolve the issue, which she did, confirming that security was on her way.
“I also told her to call my roommate, who is also from Cabanet, but she said it would take two hours to get to where she was.”My mother told me that if she never spoke to me again, , I told her that she loved me and please rest assured, so my mother found our conversation disturbing and took the phone from me,” he said.
On Monday, he tried to contact his sister using his mother’s cell phone to check on her safety, but received no response. Her sisters also called her, but she did not answer their calls either.
His sister Brittney Candy said they spent several days together in Nairobi.
“Brigid was happy throughout her week-long stay before leaving for Dublin. I saw her off at JKIA and she called me on arrival in Ireland on Thursday. I emailed her on Sunday at 4pm on Monday. I did, but the reply I received seemed to be from a different person.
Brigid used to reply to messages very casually and liked to use Kiswahili or Shen, but back then her email responses were in English, short and very formal,” she told her sister. .
“I wanted to know if she was okay, but she only replied later. It was so unusual for her that I started to get worried. I also called her five times. “But when she didn’t answer, I left a message asking her to call her mother quickly because she was concerned about her conversation with her the day before,” Britney added.
Several calls were made to students and roommates who lived with Brigid on Tuesday night, and it was determined that Brigid had died, suspected to have ingested bleach, and was treated at a medical facility on Monday morning. I received information that he died shortly after.
“There have been several posts circulating on social media that our sister died by suicide, but as a family we are yet to confirm the cause of her death and are awaiting official communication from the Dublin authorities. “We are going there as instructed and we believe we will find out exactly what happened,” she said.
“We are simply appealing to Kenyans to stop speculating on social media platforms that Brigid died by suicide and allow us to express our condolences as we await the verdict from the police. Please don’t cause us any more pain,” said the distraught sister.
The families are now asking the government to help ensure that justice is served for their deceased relatives and that their bodies are repatriated for a proper burial.
“We believe there was foul play in the circumstances surrounding her death and we are asking the authorities in Kenya and Dublin to investigate,” said the deceased’s sister, Caroline Jepchirchir.