A 21-year-old student at Eldoret National Polytechnic was found dead in her rented room on Thursday after what police suspect was a failed attempt to terminate her pregnancy.
The young woman, identified by police as Winnie Jelagat, is believed to have suffered heavy bleeding after a self-induced abortion. Neighbours at Teleview Estate told reporters they discovered her body when friends, unable to reach her by phone, forced their way inside.
“She was lying on the bed with her phone in one hand, as though she had been trying to make a call,” one neighbour said. “The other hand rested limply by her side. It looked like she was trying to reach out for help but didn’t make it in time.”
Uasin Gishu County Police Commander Benjamin Mwanthi confirmed the case, saying initial findings pointed to severe haemorrhage. “We urge students and young people not to resort to dangerous methods. Professional medical care is available and should always be sought in times of distress,” he said.
Friends and classmates described Ms Jelagat as quiet and hardworking. News of her death spread quickly across the campus, sparking grief and uneasy conversations about reproductive health and the dangers young women face when access to safe care is limited.
Unsafe abortions remain a leading cause of maternal deaths in Kenya, according to health experts, despite restrictions in law and access. Rights groups have long argued that limited reproductive health services leave many young women vulnerable to risky, unregulated procedures.
For now, the police say investigations are under way, even as neighbours continue to grapple with the loss of a life cut short in silence.
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