A 16-year-old girl has been missing for nearly two weeks after her school sent her away over allegations that she dyed her hair and wore a miniskirt.
Yvonne Wanjiru, a Form Two student at St. Charles Lwanga High School, returned to school on June 30, 2025, following the midterm break.
The following morning, school administrators expelled her. She has not been seen since.
Yvonne’s mother told authorities she had asked the school to hold off on sending her daughter away until she could attend a meeting with the administration.
Investigators say her request arrived too late, as Yvonne had already been dismissed by then.
Her mother maintains that the school acted improperly by releasing a minor without a parent or guardian present to receive her.
She argued that her daughter should have been handed directly to family.
Murang’a County Police Commander Cleti Kimaiyo confirmed that detectives had identified and interviewed a man believed to have had recent contact with the teenager.
The questioning, however, did not lead officers to Yvonne. Police subsequently checked hospitals and mortuaries across the region without locating her.
This prompted them to widen the search to neighbouring counties and major public transport hubs.
Yvonne’s mother has publicly appealed for information, saying she holds onto hope that her daughter is alive and will return home.
The family’s anguish has been compounded by the circumstances surrounding the expulsion.
Her mother expressed frustration that a procedure meant to protect students appeared to have placed her child in harm’s way instead.
Anyone with information on Yvonne Wanjiru’s whereabouts is urged to contact the Murang’a County Police.