Rose Mineh is still dealing with the grief of losing her son, Robert Gituhu, in the strangest way.
She is still struggling to come to terms with her crushed hopes. What’s more, there’s the lingering impression that something could have been done to prevent her son from tragically setting himself ablaze and ending his life.
On August 17, 2023, his son, Robert Gituhu, set himself on fire in Mombasa’s Central Business District (CBD).
His act was a harrowing protest against the cost of living.
Sadly, Gituhu succumbed to his wounds later that day at the Coast General Teaching and Referral Hospital.
Mineh now says that her 28-year-old son harboured political aspirations.
Mineh claimed that Gituhu formed an idea of a journey that included working, gaining experience, and ultimately entering politics.
“My son believed that he was a leader,” Mineh told the Nation.
“He hoped that once he graduated, he could have secured a job and worked for some years before joining politics,” she said.
“Sadly, this did not happen. At times, he could even ask me, ‘How will you feel when you wake up one day and realise I am a Member of Parliament? Or a governor? To me, I knew that since he was a student leader, he felt like he could still walk on the same path.”
Robert Gituhu was a gifted student who excelled academically in primary and high school.
His admission to the University of Eldoret (UoE) to study Mechanical and Production Engineering was made possible by his outstanding grades.
He completed his engineering degree, but he struggled with job prospects.
The former Kijabe High School student had been a standout, rising to the positions of prefect, deputy captain, and finally school captain.
He received an outstanding 400 marks in his Kenya Certificate of Primary Education.
“He was a very reserved person, responsible, obedient, hardworking, and humble, and he always respected everyone as he grew up,” Mineh recalled of her son.
Mineh described her attempts to comprehend the events that brought her son to Mombasa County.
The late Robert Gituhu in a past photo. Photo/Facebook
She said Gituhu had abruptly left home on Sunday, August 12, 2023, leaving behind unreturned phone calls and his mother’s prayers for his safe return.
As the days went by, the family’s worry increased, and eventually they started a social media search to find their missing loved one.
Later, they would find out that Robert Gituhu was the man who set himself ablaze in Mombasa.
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Mineh urged the government to develop a mechanism to match talented graduates to stem desperation.
“It is too bad that the government spends a lot on HELB and loses bright students, like in the case of my son,” she said.
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