A dark cloud has fallen over Kachabora, Eldoret, after the sudden death of Macine Cheptoo, a Catholic University of East Africa student who lost her life just days before her graduation. The accident occurred on Saturday, September 13, when she was struck by a car while crossing the road. The driver fled the scene. Cheptoo was rushed to Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital, but she sadly succumbed to her injuries.
Her sister Brandie confirmed the devastating news, sharing details of her passing and the funeral plans. “She will be buried in Kachabora on Tuesday, September 23, 2025. A harambee will be held on Sunday, September 21, to offset funeral expenses,” she said.
What Was Macine Cheptoo Studying at University?
Cheptoo had trained as a teacher and was preparing to graduate in October. For her family, the tragedy has been deeply painful. Brandie described her as determined, loving, and God-fearing. “She was supposed to graduate in October and just like that her dreams are cut short; my parents are broken.”
Her final days are remembered fondly by those closest to her. Brandie paid an emotional tribute: “I loved you, Macine, but the Lord decided to allow you rest. May you rest in everlasting love and peace 🙏😭😭😭. How do I say goodbye to you? You wanted the best for me, I’ll miss your smile and laughs and a lot of ‘I don’t know, you tell me. Good bye Macine, Rest in peace.”
Her former deskmate, Jil Debrah, also recalled: “Rest in peace my deskmate Mercine… your smile still fresh in my mind😭you’ll forever be missed, mama.”
How Did Friends and Classmates React to Her Passing?
Tributes poured in across social media from classmates, schoolmates, and friends who studied with her at St. Joseph’s Girls School, Kitale, and beyond. ❤️candy❤️ wrote: “Huyu dem amekuwanga Eldoret 😭😭or namfananisha? Rest easy Merc.” Diana💙🎀 added: “Just before the accident 🥲 she told me I looked good and she loved my outfit 😭 RIP pretty.”
Lexees Lewis reflected on life’s fragility: “Sahizi maisha nikubatisha… two minutes kwa duve next second uko kwa fridge 😭 😭.” Hon. Kibet Kemboi mourned her, saying: “😭😭😭😭 rest in peace machine. Imagine dying just before your graduation 🎓😭😭😭😭.”
Her TikTok friend, kenon_arnold, remembered her joy: “She was full of life… when I met her in person she was jovial.” Others, like reformed256, described the pain of losing a friend who had promised to visit just weeks earlier. Dee, another close acquaintance, summed it up simply: “My schoolmate, my neighbor, my friend, am broken… it’s well Macine, have lost😭.”
Have Similar Incidents Happened Before?
This tragedy comes months after Pwani University mourned the death of fourth-year student Evans Kiplang’at. The student body at Pwani remembered him as a young man full of potential and sent condolences to his family, echoing the heartbreak now felt in Eldoret.
The death of Macine Cheptoo has left her family, classmates, and community devastated, a promising life cut short just before it was about to begin.
By Risper Akinyi