A commotion unfolded in Mapenzi Estate, Tana River County, when Esther Soni, a student at a medical school in Malindi, paid an unexpected visit to her boyfriend’s house on April 12, 2023, only to discover her mother there.
Soni, who had arrived from Malindi at 6 am with the assistance of a mutual friend, expressed her astonishment upon finding her mother, donned in a scarf, opening the door. The ensuing dramatic scene, punctuated by Soni’s hysterical laughter and a piercing scream, roused the attention of the few neighbors in the vicinity.
According to Saada Hassan, a neighbor, Soni confronted her mother about the bewildering situation, questioning why she was at her boyfriend’s house wearing a scarf. This led to an emotional exchange, with the mother pulling Soni inside the house, where a heated discussion unfolded, audible in low tones to the eavesdropping neighbors.
The altercation between mother and daughter persisted until the boyfriend intervened, restoring a semblance of calm. Soon after, Soni’s mother discreetly exited the house, leaving Soni and her boyfriend behind.
Subsequently, two other women joined the trio inside, engaging in a subdued discussion. Reports suggest that Soni, overwhelmed during the confrontation, briefly collapsed, providing her mother with an opportunity to slip away unnoticed.
The temporary silence in the house was shattered when Soni, now agitated, resumed her outburst, expressing intentions to harm her mother. Concerned neighbors, Mildred Kweche among them, recounted the tumultuous events, highlighting Soni’s emotional state and her desperate search for her mother.
The two women who had entered the house attempted to console Soni as the boyfriend departed. Soni’s emotional turmoil persisted, with cries emanating from the house as she recounted introducing her boyfriend to her mother the previous year when he visited her ailing father in the hospital.
The situation was further complicated by the recent burial of Soni’s father, heightening the emotional strain on the family. Eventually, Soni left the house disheartened, clutching her shoes, followed by the two women who had entered earlier. Boarding a matatu, she departed from the town.
Efforts to obtain a statement from the boyfriend proved futile, as rumors circulated that he too had left town, and his phone remained unresponsive. Soni’s mother, a local school teacher, declined to comment on the matter.
