The Board of Management (BOM) of AIC Kapsitwet Secondary School in Trans Nzoia County has dismissed reports that Steve Rodgers, a KCSE candidate died after consuming ethanol in the school’s laboratory.
Addressing the press at the school, Robert Kibii, the chairman of the board said there were no science practicals on the fateful day.
Kibii insisted that it is not true that the student died after taking ethanol in the company of another student who was treated and discharged.
“We regret that we lost one of our very bright students. However, we want to state that our laboratory is very intact and we distance ourselves from the allegations that he consumed ethanol,” he told journalists.
Incident at school
The Board of Management chair also revealed that the school is investigating an incident where the students were rowdy on Saturday, prompting the teachers who were marking examinations to hand them over to the nearby Kapsitwet police base.
“We are yet to establish what the two male students had taken because they were very violent and that is why they were taken to the police post where they spent their night,” he added.
The management said the students were counseled following the incident and called for calmness while investigations are ongoing.
“We know the untimely death of Rodgers is a big blow to the family, let us not speculate and allow security agencies to finish their investigations” Kibii appealed.
However, the family of the promising student who wanted to be a lawyer insists their son died after consuming ethanol in school.
It has since called on the government to intervene so that they know the exact cause of their son’s death.
Susan Mong’ina and David Namiti, parents of the deceased are still in disbelief and shock.
They suspect foul play in the incident.
“We totally disagree with the school management position on this incident. It was prudent for the police to take my son to the hospital and not lock him in their holding room when he fell unconscious,” Mong’ina said.
The parents insist the poison in the ethanol broke their son’s bones disabling him completely.
“By the time I took my son to hospital when he was very weak that he could neither move nor speak and he died Sunday night while receiving treatment,” the mother added.
Probe already ongoing
Sokomoko village residents called for action to be taken against those implicated in the incident.
A multi-agency team drawn from the Ministry of Education, the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) and the Directorate of Criminal investigations (DCI) visited the school on Tuesday to conduct investigations.
The question then is, who is telling the truth? We leave this to relevant agencies.
