Sister to Carol Ngumbu, the lady who was found dead alongside the late Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) official Chris Msando, opened up about how she escaped the death by a whisker.

In an interview with NTV on Sunday, July 31, the sister, Jedidah Wanjiku, noted that she was scheduled to meet the duo on the fateful night but was unable to after her phone battery ran out.

She explained that she did not have any cash and depended on mobile money for her movement, which was impossible without a mobile phone.

“They were to meet and she told me that Chris (Msando) had informed her that he was getting into a meeting. He was to attend another meeting and she was to wait for him.

“Caro called me and asked where I was. I told her I am coming, I was dealing with a client (at the time). My phone’s battery died and I began looking for a charger. The charger, however, failed to work. I contemplated going to town with a dead phone without any cash. I decided to just go home,” Jedidah explained.

The team was scheduled to meet at around 9p.m. on the fateful Friday with Jedidah’s last conversation with her sister Carol, being a confirmation that Msando had joined the group.

“They were waiting for me. Even when Chris arrived, she called and informed me. It was around 9p.m. and that is how I missed them. If I had showed up, I would have been with them,” she added.

Jedidah tried reaching her sister the following morning but her phone was off. On Sunday, however, was when she learnt about Chris Msando’s disappearance following an announcement made earlier by the IEBC.

She then became worried when she attempted to call Msando whose phone was also off, which resulted in a frantic search.

Soon after, the body of Msando was recovered in a forest alongside that of an unidentified lady before they were transferred to City Mortuary and booked as unknown bodies. Wanjiku’s visit to the mortuary confirmed her worst fears that her sister had been murdered.

In the following days, Wanjiku and her family suffered from Cyber bullying mostly from social media platforms.

“There were a lot of messages on Whatsapp. I did not know where they got my contact. It was terrible. I had to pull down all my social media accounts, Facebook and Instagram. I could not stand them,” she explained.

The family, which gave the first media interview on Sunday, five years after the murder, decried neglect by the state noting that they  are yet to be furnished with details about the investigations since recording statements.

Ngumbu’s mother, Serah Ngumbu, who was not privy to her daughter’s relationship with Msando, appealed to the state to help the family settle a loan the family took to clear her education.

Wanjiku noted that Carol met Msando while studying at the Kenya Medical Training College (KMTC) and their relationship blossomed later when she was posted to Naivasha.

The National Police Service (NPS) is yet to make any arrests in relation to the gruesome murder.