City girl who went missing after ‘being denied WhatsApp’ found in Mombasa
A 13 year-old girl who ran away from home after a quarrel with her parents over access to WhatsApp has been found living like a street urchin in Mombasa.
The Standard Eight pupil left home on April 24 in Mihang’o, Embakasi, after her mother took away her tablet because she was spending too much time on WhatsApp instead of studying.
Speaking to Nairobi News, her mother said a street boy called her from Mombasa last week to disclose the whereabouts of her daughter.
“At first I didn’t believe it and thought it was just another prank because we had been receiving too many calls from different people saying they had spotted my daughter,” she said.
SIGHTED
The following day the same street boy called her and told her that her daughter had been sighted at the same spot.
She said the street boy told her that her runaway daughter used to sit at the same spot every evening outside a local restaurant, where she usually spent her nights, before waking up in the morning and going to the beach.
The woman quickly contacted one of her friends in Mombasa and pleaded with her to go verify the news.
Later, the friend called back to announce the good news that she had indeed found the girl and had taken her to her house.
The owner of the restaurant later narrated to the family how their missing daughter had aproached him with a request to be employed, but he had turned her down because she is a minor.
SEARCH FOR BROTHER
When asked why she went to Mombasa, she said she had gone to look for her elder brother who worked in the Coastal town, but she forgot to write down his number down and couldn’t remember it off-head.
Before leaving home, the girl had penned a heartbreaking letter to her parents and siblings.
In the letter, she thanked her parents for raising her well and that is now a grown-up who could take care of herself.
“Thank you mom and dad for raising me well, may Jehova continue to bless you,” she wrote. “But for now, I need to go. I am a big girl and I can take care of myself. Please don’t bother looking for me.”
She went ahead to apologise to her brothers and sisters for the pain she was about to cause them by running away.
“I love you very much. I am very sorry for what I have done. Please do not cry because I am making life difficult life for you. I am sorry. Please do not look for me, I have gone to start a new life. Bye to my friends and family.”
Her disappearance was reported to the Mihang’o Police Station.
