Bright Masinde Muliro University French student meets tragic death days to graduation

Since Gaius Aquila Mulama was born, his parents described him as a unique genius child. The first in a family of four children was born 21 years ago at Elwangale village in Khwisero Sub County. His parents say they first noticed his unique traits when they enrolled him in nursery school.

Apparently, Gaius was so smart that teachers promoted him to class one at Elwangale Primary School just few months into pre-school.

After performing exceptionally well in secondary shool, he turned down his admission to Mt Kenya University to study a Bachelor’s Degree in Medical Records. Gaius joined Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology (MMUST) to pursue a bachelors degree in Kiswahili and French.

As his father Samuel Mulama told Campus Vibe, Gaius was passionate about French. His efforts paid off when in September last year, Gaius was among the two students from MMUST to secure a scholarship to France. This is after President Uhuru Kenyatta and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron signed an exchange programme for Kenya and France students.

Thanks to this opportunity, Gaius met President Macron while in Kenya and France, and even dined with him. Gaius came back to the country last month ahead of his graduation at MMUST, which was scheduled to take place on Friday December 18, 2020. This never came to pass.

His life ended tragically in a road accident barely a week to the graduation ceremony.
“My son had a bad experience that led to his death. He was coming from Luanda to Stendikisa on a motorcycle when a speeding ambulance coming from the opposite direction made a U-turn and hit him together with his younger brother. He broke his skull, rib cage, neck and legs,” his father told Campus Vibe.

His younger brother who was with him at the time of the accident is still undergoing treatment.
He added: “The motorcycle he was riding was hit so hard that it flew off the road and landed on a lady by the roadside, severing both her legs. She also died an hour later. I later learnt the lady was an assistant chief from Emuhaya Sub County.”

According to Mulama, after the accident, every hospital they were referred to declined to admit his son because he did not have enough money to pay admission fees.

He was taken to different hospitals in Vihiga, Kakamega, Bungoma and Uasin Gishu counties but none of the facilities would take him in. He died at Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH) - Eldoret where he had finally obtained admission.

“We called friends and relatives to assist us raise money for his treatment. We managed to raise only Sh50,000,’’  said Mulama, adding that he has lost hope in life as Gaius was his only tunnel out of abject poverty. Gaius’ former comrades at MMUST described him as a humble and hardworking man.