How crimes of passion continue robbing Kenya of many young sharp minds
In Kenya, the celebration of success in national exams is always a joyful moment for many parents, teachers, students and loved ones. They take to the streets to rejoice in the achievements of their children.
Most parents go to great lengths to ensure their children have the best education. They take loans, borrow from loved ones and in some cases even selling their precious properties to fund their children’s education.
But for some parents this precious investment never pays off. Many of these young minds have met untimely deaths due to crimes of passion.
The horrific incident of April 9, 2019 when a 6th-year medical student from Moi University was brutally attacked in broad daylight by a man alleged to be her boyfriend easily comes to mind.
Also read: Sean Andrew – I left all dating sites; they were just rubbish!
Regrettably, most of these crimes of passion have been reported in institutions of higher learning, where future professionals are meant to be nurtured.
On May 19th, 2022, a 19-year-old Journalism student from the Kenya Institute of Mass Communication was murdered by her 24-year-old boyfriend in Kiambu.
Who can forget the incident of May 1, 2023, when a 3rd-year student at University of Eldoret stabbed his girlfriend to death and later attempted to take his own life?
It later emerged that the two students had isolated themselves in their house for about four days before the tragic incident.
On July 11, 2023, a medical student from Kenyekine Imenti South was killed by her jealous boyfriend, when he allegedly found her in the company of another man.
Also read: Wanted – Shadowy activities of Pakistani businessman who is ‘hiding’ in Kenya
These are just a few cases of the agony parents are often subjected upon the untimely deaths of their children through crimes of passion.
Many young people eagerly look forward to turning 18, which in Kenya is the onset of adulthood and its newfound independent life.
However, most of these young adults lack the necessary life skills to handle conflicts and misunderstandings that may arise from romantic relationships.
Distorted perceptions of love and a disregard for the challenges that accompany romantic relationships further exacerbate the situation.
The desire to fit in and succumbing to peer pressure only add to the troubles faced by these impressionable young minds.
The undergraduate student population, with an average age of 19 years at entry, comprises those who have completed 12 years of schooling (8 years of primary school and 4 years of secondary school).
It is a matter of national concern when many of these promising young minds are forever lost to crimes of passion.
Also read: Comedian Akuku Danger loses his kid sister to sickle cell anaemia