Dubai: A mother's worst fears have become reality for a Kenyan woman unable to reach her beaten, broken and bruised daughter in a Dubai hospital.
Anna Wanjiru Mwikamba has only learned in recent days that her daughter Esther, 26, was hospitalised after a random attack in a Dubai car park and is now in a coma and on life support.
Word that one Emirati man is in custody and another temporarily released on bail as Dubai police dig deeper into the early-morning assault, has helped soften the blow of the news, she said.
But, with little money and grim prospects for emergency international travel, Anna said the weight of worry about her daughter's critical condition is beyond description.
"I want to see my Esther," she said down the crackling telephone line in interview with Gulf News on Thursday from the family's hometown of Thika, a light industry town 40 kilometres north of Nairobi known for growing pineapples.
"What can I do? I don't have the money, but I want to see my Esther," Anna said.
Kenyan Ambassador to the UAE, Mohammad Gello, is eager to help after visiting Esther at her bedside in Rashid Hospital on Thursday with Kenyan community leaders from the UAE.
Minutes after emerging from the visit, Gello said it was "heartbreaking to see her in this condition" and reaffirmed an earlier pledge that embassy and consular diplomatic staff will do everything to support the Mwikamba family in crisis, including legal assistance as the case moves through the courts.
Asked by Gulf News if he could help expedite the processing of travel documents for Esther's mother, Gello said the embassy would work to make it happen. "The probability is that the mother doesn't even have a passport but we can arrange for one as soon as possible," Gello confirmed. "We will do this."
Gello said is he is also speaking to community leaders who are being swamped with requests by the Kenyan community to financially offset expenses for the Mwikamba family.
The main challenge is finding a registered charity in the UAE that can receive and disseminate donations to the Mwikamba family.
Esther's youngest sister Catherine told Gulf News on Thursday that she was grateful for all of the prayers and support and said Esther would very glad to see so many people reaching out to help.
"Esther has always been a very kind person and helped whenever she could," Catherine said. "This would make her very happy."
