Leaders have rebuked Kenyans on social media over insensitive reports about the life and murder of Ivy Wangechi.
Wangechi, who was a sixth-year medical student at Moi University, was killed by her spurned stalker in Eldoret on April 9.
The leaders accused the social platforms of misleading Kenyans regarding the death of the student.
They spoke at Ivy's funeral on Thursday in Mahiga, Nyeri county.
Mathira MP Rigathi Gachagua called on social media users to be kind and sensitive to people’s feelings.
He said it was sad that even after the parents of Ivy underwent the traumatic experience of the brutal and painful death, social media was overloading them by following the girl to her grave.
He said social media users continued to fight Ivy even in death when she couldn’t fight back.
“Why don’t you come and fight us who are alive then we can fight with you? We want to tell the people of social media to know that they are also human beings and tomorrow or the day after, they could be in similar circumstances,” Gachagua said.
“They would like to be treated with kindness and I am saying internet and social media are good and we are happy about it but a few people have taken it to such negative heights."
The MP said there was a bill on computer and cybercrime to punish such people but the High Court ruled it unconstitutional after people opposed it.
The bill would have addressed such concerns, he said.
He also advised young people that failed relationships are part of life saying there are many failures in life. He called on people to take everything in strides.
The legislator said the church and leaders should come up with interventions on counselling. He wants the chaplaincy to talk to young people on handling relationships.
Gachagua said problems have been getting out of hand,
He spoke on Thursday during Ivy's burial in
Gatundu South MP Moses Kuria said there should be a broader conversation on what is happening in the country, especially with the young generation.
He said is the only tribute that can be given to Ivy and others who have died in a brutal way.
Kuria blamed parents for trying to understand children’s problems without asking them, saying "such patriarchal attitudes towards young people should come to an end."
“We need to listen to young people and let them tell us what the problem is and let us not sit back and pretend to know what the problem is. We are too old to understand the modern world,” he said.
He called on people to stop assigning common armchair solutions to the acute problem without diagnosing.
The legislator said young people should be given an environment to discuss problems among themselves and share solutions. Parents should not assume to know both the problems and solutions, he said.
Murang’a Woman Representative Sabina Chege called on the church to start a department with young pastors to talk and preach to young people.
She said murders in families and between lovers have been on the increase adding that "people cannot sit pretty".
Othaya MP Gichuki Mugambi said the government must ensure that every school must have a chaplain who is a trained counsellor.
“They will help them to cope with life because they are going through a lot. Many of them have no people to mentor them and go to a home that is difficult,” he said.
“All these fathers we see drunk on roads end up in homes and have children. Today we have adopted a very individualistic kind of life. You don’t care whether kids of your brother or your sister have somebody to guide them,” Mugambi said.
(Edited by R.Wamochie)
