A Red Cross official stepped forward at Gilgil Stadium on Friday after Utumishi Girls Academy school captain Abigael Wanjiku broke down in tears mid-way through her eulogy, steadying her until she could finish her tribute to fifteen fallen schoolmates.
The moment brought a hush over the packed stadium. Wanjiku had barely begun her address when emotion overwhelmed her. The Red Cross official moved to her side as mourners, leaders and bereaved families watched in silence.
She gathered herself and completed the eulogy. “We have lost friends, study partners, teammates and companions who shared our dreams, our laughter and our hopes for the future,” Wanjiku said. “The pain of losing them is one that we will carry for a long time.”
Wanjiku spoke on behalf of hundreds of students who survived the May 27 dormitory fire that killed sixteen of their schoolmates and left seventy nine others injured at the Gilgil school.
First Lady Rachel Ruto, Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba, Nakuru Governor Susan Kihika and Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna were among the leaders seated in the stadium as she delivered her words.