Spotted a short distance from Nakuru town along Kabarak road is Mercy Njeri Primary School. Other than that, a secondary school, pillar cafe, shopping centre and also a fishpond within the same place also named after her.
Numerous theories have rocked the attempts to unmask the identity of Ms. Mercy Njeri. The primary school was named after a nine-year-old girl by the then President Daniel Arap Moi in the 1980s.
So, how did a young girl influence a sitting President to be bestow her with such an honour? Born in Kiamunyi in 1975, Ms. Njeri (now deceased) had a bright future ahead of her, while dreaming of becoming a doctor.
Health complications however befell her at the tender age of six with her parents taking her to a local hospital.
Young as she was, Ms. Njeri was diagnosed with rheumatic disease, a condition that damages heart valves, caused by inflammation in the joints and the Central Nervous System (CNS). The condition can trigger heart failure.
Medics recommended that Njeri undergoes surgery abroad and the cost would amount to Ksh500,000. The news caused jitters to Simon Waiharo, Njeri’s father, who wondered how the family would raise such a huge amount.
A fundraiser by then area MP Koima Kimosop managed to raise Ksh94,000, just a percentage of the target. Fortunately, a silver lining came about for Njeri’s family when ex-President late Daniel Moi toured Kiamunyi primary school where Ms. Njeri was a pupil.
The headteacher told Moi about Njeri’s issue and the amount needed to save her life. President Moi immediately took action and funded the trip to go to the United Kingdom for the medical procedure.
The nine-year-old underwent a 12-hour operation in Birmingham Children’s Hospital but unfortunately, she lost her battle. Having been dealt a blow by the outcome, Waiharo flew his daughter’s body back home for a final send-off.
At the funeral, the school’s headteacher requested that the school be renamed after Njeri- a request that Moi agreed to. Njeri’s situation had influenced the residents who felt for the family. Months later, a new shopping centre was named after her while a newly-built secondary school also followed the suit.
Speaking to the Standard Media recently, the late Njeri’s father said, “I am humbled to have a school named after my daughter. This is a great honour and is the reason why I am working closely with the school to improve the quality of education for learners.”
Content created and supplied by: nziokajustin (via Opera
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