The family of 23-year-old Kenyan student Brigid Kandie Jemosop who died in Dublin, Ireland two weeks ago has addressed rumours surrounding her death.
Speaking to local media, Brigid’s mother Sarah Kandie, her brother Kiprotich Kandie and sister Sanaipei Kandie strongly refuted claims on social media that the deceased took her own life.
Sarah said her daughter called her on Sunday, February 11, 2024, just three days after she arrived in Ireland, and told her that her boyfriend had locked her inside his house and was threatening to stab her.
Brigid’s mother said that her daughter told her that the boyfriend had threatened to stab her twice before and that she was sure that he was going to knife her that fateful Sunday.
“On Sunday around 5 she called me telling me she would like to talk to her brother then I gave the phone to her brother. Suddenly I see the brother was crying. I took the phone and asked her what was the problem akaniambia ‘mama I am stressed’. I asked her which kind of stress si you tell me I can help. She told me ‘no mama it is not money, I am stressed. My guy left me inside the house alikua amenitishia maisha amenishikia kisu mara mbili but mama kama hakunidunga jana ni kama atanidunga leo. Mama I will handle it.’ Nkamwambia yeye can you call the authorities akaniambia nimewapigia wanakuja. Nkamwambia you can also call a boy from home called Bismarck to come and help you. Akaniambua ‘mum I will handle it’. From there I don’t know what happened until her death,” Sarah Kandie narrated.
Brigid’s brother Kiprotich Kandie said that when he talked to the deceased she told her she feared for her life because of her boyfriend’s threats.
Kiprotich added that she advised Brigid to seek the help of a Kenyan called Bismarck and her roommate but she told her that they would take two hours to arrive at her boyfriend’s house where she had been locked.
“It was on Sunday tulikua na mom kwa shamba yake mahali amenunua so tulikua tumekaa chini then akapiga simu akasema anaweza ongea na mimi so si mum akanipea simu. [Bridget] akaniambia songo kwanza kidogo place mum hawezi kua we need to talk. Nkamuita ‘hi love’ aka burst in tears nkamuuliza nini mbaya akaniambia ako so much disturbed na ako na stress. Nkamwambia nini mbaya? Akaniambia ati amefungiwa kwa nyumba ndani. Nikwambia what’s happening? Akaniambia ‘hii jamaa (siwezi taja the name for now until tupate full information) ati amemtishia amemfungia kwa nyuma ameenda’. Nikamwambia si ufanye hivi si ucall the guards wenye wako huko. Akasema ati ‘nimepigia guards wako kwa barabara’. Nikamwambia si upigie a friend mwenye alimsaidia anatoka huku hivi (Kenya) anaitwa Bismarck ama upigie the roommate anaitwa Linda. Akasema ata nkiwapigia itachukua two hours,” Kiprotich said.
Adding; “So hivyo vile tulikua tunaongea na yeye akaniambia ‘know if kama siwezi kuongelesha tena jua nakupenda’. From hapo tukuongea na yeye tena.“
Brigid’s sister Sanaipei Kandie called on netizens to stop spreading false information on social media that the deceased took her own life.
It was widely reported on social media gossip accounts that Brigid committed suicide after she went back to Ireland and found out that her boyfriend cheated on her.
“Watu wameongea sana on social media I have even seen like too many forums in Facebook, Twitter, Instagram confirming about suicide. I am just here to demystify saying that we have not received any information cocerning suicide, we are still waiting for the authorities to release the results. Please allow us to mourn, don’t add us more burden of speculating things,” Sanaipei Kandie said.
Brigid’s last moments
Brigid Kandie died under mysterious circumstances three days after landing in Dublin, Ireland where she was studying.
The 23-year-old had been living in Ireland for eight months where she was pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in nursing.
Brigid travelled back to Kenya on January 27, 2024, for a one-week vacation. She spent a few days in Nairobi and the Coast before visiting her rural home in Kabarnet, Baringo County.
Brigid returned to Nairobi on February 6, 2023, to catch her flight back to Ireland.
On February 11, 2023, Brigid called her family to inform them that her boyfriend had locked her in his house and was threatening to stab her. It was the last time the family heard from their kin before they were informed she had died.
