DUBAI // The Kenyan community is rallying to help a woman who is in a coma after being punched to the ground and repeatedly kicked in the head outside a hotel.
Esther Wanjiru Mwikamba, 26, was attacked outside the Crowne Plaza on Sheikh Zayed Road early on February 18.
Penninah Nyokabi, a Kenyan who has been visiting her in Rashid Hospital every day since, said help had been given to fly Ms Mwikamba's mother and sister to the UAE.
"Kenya Airways provided the mother with a free ticket and she is being put up at a hotel in Deira owned by a Kenyan who is allowing her to stay for free," Ms Nyokabi said.
Ms Mwikamba's mother arrived in Dubai on Thursday and went straight to the hospital.
"She cried and spoke to her, even though she cannot hear anything," said Ms Nyokabi.
"She said, 'You are my eldest daughter and I will bring you back'. She has been praying continually for her health."
Ms Mwikamba has two sisters and a brother, but is the sole breadwinner for the family.
Mike Ogolla, the secretary of the Kenya Welfare Association, said the group was in talks with the Awqaf and Minors Affairs Foundation to raise funds for the family.
"The money collected would go to supporting the family, as well as paying towards her hospital bills," Mr Ogolla said.
"Her mother does some small trade in Kenya and Esther is the only breadwinner in the family. We want to support them."
The Kenyan ambassador to the UAE, Mohammad Gello, said there had been overwhelming support for Ms Mwikamba.
"People sympathise with what happened to her," said Mr Gello. "It's really shocking."
He said there were 40,000 Kenyans in the UAE and they were all coming together to raise funds.
"The Kenyan community is closely knit,"Mr Gello said. "They have shown an intention to raise money, and we are doing it through the proper channels with the help of Kenya Welfare Association and the relevant authorities. There are many well-wishers who wants to donate and help her."
Police are holding an Emirati in connection with the assault on Ms Mwikamba, he said.
Mr Gello stressed the attack was an isolated incident and Kenyans need not worry about their safety.
frahman@thenational.ae
Should late investors consider cryptocurrencies?
Wealth managers recommend late investors to have a balanced portfolio that typically includes traditional assets such as cash, government and corporate bonds, equities, commodities and commercial property.
They do not usually recommend investing in Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies due to the risk and volatility associated with them.
“It has produced eye-watering returns for some, whereas others have lost substantially as this has all depended purely on timing and when the buy-in was. If someone still has about 20 to 25 years until retirement, there isn’t any need to take such risks,” Rupert Connor of Abacus Financial Consultant says.
He adds that if a person is interested in owning a business or growing a property portfolio to increase their retirement income, this can be encouraged provided they keep in mind the overall risk profile of these assets.
Tour de France 2017: Stage 5
Vittel - La Planche de Belles Filles, 160.5km
It is a shorter stage, but one that will lead to a brutal uphill finish. This is the third visit in six editions since it was introduced to the race in 2012. Reigning champion Chris Froome won that race.
Destroyer
Director: Karyn Kusama
Cast: Nicole Kidman, Toby Kebbell, Sebastian Stan
Rating: 3/5
UAE release: January 31
The Matrix Resurrections
Director: Lana Wachowski
Stars: Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss, Jessica Henwick
Rating:****
'Cheb%20Khaled'
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EArtist%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EKhaled%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ELabel%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EBelieve%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
What is Reform?
Reform is a right-wing, populist party led by Nigel Farage, a former MEP who won a seat in the House of Commons last year at his eighth attempt and a prominent figure in the campaign for the UK to leave the European Union.
It was founded in 2018 and originally called the Brexit Party.
Many of its members previously belonged to UKIP or the mainstream Conservatives.
After Brexit took place, the party focused on the reformation of British democracy.
Former Tory deputy chairman Lee Anderson became its first MP after defecting in March 2024.
The party gained support from Elon Musk, and had hoped the tech billionaire would make a £100m donation. However, Mr Musk changed his mind and called for Mr Farage to step down as leader in a row involving the US tycoon's support for far-right figurehead Tommy Robinson who is in prison for contempt of court.
WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
Getting there
Flydubai flies direct from Dubai to Tbilisi from Dh1,025 return including taxes
The%C2%A0specs%20
%3Cp%3E%0D%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E6-cylinder%2C%204.8-litre%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E5-speed%20automatic%20and%20manual%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E280%20brake%20horsepower%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E451Nm%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Efrom%20Dh153%2C00%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Enow%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
