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Student attacked with acid in hostel


A student has been left badly scarred after having acid thrown in her face.

She was attacked at her campus hostel and suffered severe burns on one side of her face and arms.

Felister Nyabonyi, a third year pharmacy student at the University of Nairobi, was rushed to Kenyatta National Hospital.

She told how she fought off the attacker and forced her way out of the room.

“He was restless and seemed to be looking for something in my roommates’ belongings, then I heard him rant that he was tired of women,” she said.

And she went on: “I was cooking and before I knew it, he had grabbed my neck and used a tape to gag my mouth so that I could not scream for help.

“I struggled to remove his hand from my mouth. I somehow managed to push him away and as he fell on the bed. I reached for the key and opened the door which he had locked. But before I could dash out, he hurled a chemical at me but I still managed to run out of the room and scream for help.” 

Her screams alerted fellow students who rushed to the scene and seized the attacker before handing him over to officers at the KNH police post. Also arrested was Felister’s roommate. 

The two are expected to be arraigned in court on Tuesday. According to Felister, the attack was totally unprovoked.

“He came when my roommate was out and I welcomed him to the room because I had seen him around a couple of times. I didn’t see anything wrong with him waiting since we share the room,” she said.

Nurses attending to Felister said she would have to undergo surgery to remove the scars on her face and arms.

Felister’s colleagues at the KNH campus turned to social media to express their outrage and wish her a quick recovery.

“It’s a matter of concern. That criminal should be charged. It is a disgrace attacking a female comrade,” said fellow student Omondi Ochuka. 

Other students demanded that action be taken against him.

“He must face the full force of the law. That act is totally unacceptable, inhuman and demeaning to the image of this premier institution,” said Evanson Musembi, another student.