- A Kenyan woman named Benina Jepkoech is presumed dead after her car plunged into a river in Canada
- A friend who was with her shortly before the tragedy has shared emotional details of their final encounter
- She remembers Benina stopping by her home and sharing her plans minutes before the accident
Benina Jepkoech, a 24-year-old Kenyan woman described by friends as humble, polite and full of dreams, is presumed dead after her car plunged into a river in Kamloops, British Columbia.
Source: UGC
She who moved to Canada from Kenya in 2025 in search of a better future, met her tragic fate after the vehicle she was driving entered the North Thompson River on Sunday evening.
While a 21-year-old passenger was rescued by bystanders, Benina has still not been found, leaving family and friends clinging to hope and prayer.
CBC News reports that her close friend, Jacinta Mugo, spent time with her moments before the tragic incident.
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The grieving friend has spoken emotionally about Benina’s final moments and the painful reality facing those who knew her.
“She was humble, she was respectful and she was friendly to everybody,” Mugo recalled. “If you met her, you would immediately notice how polite she was. Extremely polite.”
According to Mugo, Benina had visited her home shortly before the accident.
The sister of the young passenger in the car needed to borrow a blow dryer, and the two women had stopped by to pick it up.
After receiving the item, the pair left, but what happened next would change everything within minutes.
Mugo explained that Benina had little experience driving in Canada and had expressed interest in learning more so she could eventually buy her own vehicle.
Although she had driven in Kenya, adapting to Canadian roads had proved challenging.
Source: UGC
In Kenya, motorists drive on the left side of the road, unlike in Canada where drivers keep to the right.
Mugo believes the unfamiliar road system may have caused Benina to panic when she encountered an approaching vehicle after merging onto Schubert Drive.
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“I think due to the panic, she accidentally turned all the wheels to the right facing the river,” Mugo explained. “And then instead of probably pressing on the brakes, she pressed on the gas, and that’s when the car flew and plunged into the river.”
Mugo said Benina worked full-time at a hotel in downtown Kamloops and also held a second job at Afrofusion restaurant, balancing long hours as she worked towards her goals.
Their friendship dated back to 2022 when they volunteered together with the Red Cross in Kenya.
Though they later lost touch, fate reunited them last year in Canada after one of Mugo’s friends asked her to pick someone up from the airport.
“That person turned out to be Benina,” she said softly. “Since then, we remained friends.”
Now, instead of planning for the future together, Mugo and the wider Kenyan community are left waiting anxiously for answers as search efforts continue.
“We can’t really do anything at the moment without her, without knowing where she is or knowing what we’re supposed to do,” she said. “So what we’re doing right now is just pray and hope and wait.”
For now, her loved ones remain united in grief and prayer, hoping that somehow, closure will come soon.
Source: NGBREAKINGNEWS
