Postmortem: Nakuru Grade 8 pupil died of blood circulatory failure

Angry parents wheel Moses Onyoni's body to the school in a dramatic protest following his sudden death, Monday, February 23, 2026. /SCREENGRAB

A Grade 8 pupil who died shortly after arriving at Moi Comprehensive School in Nakuru County succumbed to blood circulatory failure, postmortem results have revealed.

Moses Onyoni died on Monday morning after he reportedly collapsed shortly after arrival, sparking dramatic protests from parents who wheeled his body from the hospital to the school demanding answers over his sudden death.

Government pathologist Dr Titus Ngulungu performed an autopsy on the body on Tuesday evening, ruling out foul play in the pupil’s death.

Speaking after conducting the postmortem at the Nakuru Teaching and Referral Hospital mortuary, Dr Ngulungu said Onyoni, 14, died of blood circulatory failure, possibly triggered by fear or stress.

"I have formed the opinion that the cause of death was blood circulatory failure, although the specific trigger remains undetermined pending laboratory results," he said.

The postmortem was witnessed by the family and members of the school’s board of management.

The doctor said the body showed no signs of physical trauma, save for a minor injury to the forehead, probably caused by the fall.

"There were no signs of any significant injury. The boy collapsed after blood failed to circulate well in the body. Investigations are ongoing to establish whether any underlying pathological or toxicological factors contributed to the pupil's death," Dr Ngulungu said.

He said body tissue had been taken to the government chemist for further tests to establish the actual cause of the lack of blood circulation.

According to the doctor, physical and internal assessment of the body did not point to a definitive cause, as structural or anatomical abnormalities were absent.

"A section of the heart tissue has been taken for histological examination, while samples from the stomach, blood, liver and kidney have been submitted for toxicological analysis," the doctor said.

Toxicological analysis focuses on identifying and measuring the presence of toxic compounds such as drugs, poisons and chemicals in bodily fluids or tissues, and in what concentration.

Histological analysis involves the microscopic examination of tissues and organs to look for structural changes, cellular damage or disease.

Whereas the findings have largely served to erase suspicion of foul play, they have raised more questions for the family, who are now keen to know what transpired in the final moments before Onyoni collapsed.

Areas of focus include establishing where he collapsed — whether in the classroom or outside — and whether he was alone or with his colleagues.

Vincent Onwong'a, an uncle to the deceased, said the family is not accusing the school of wrongdoing but is seeking clarity to enable them to have closure as they continue with burial arrangements.

"The family has accepted the medical findings although we remain disturbed by the conflicting information about what transpired between the moment the boy arrived at school and the time he was rushed to hospital," he said.

Speaking to the media on Monday, Onyoni’s mother, Lilian Moraa, said her son was in good health when he left home that morning.

“I normally open the gate for him, but because it was raining, I told him I could not go out. So he went and opened the gate, returned the keys and bid me goodbye,” she said.

The father, Fred Nyang’o, said that at 8:45am they received a call asking them to go to the school and, upon further inquiry, were informed that their son had fainted.

He left the school without clarity on the sequence of events leading to his son’s collapse.

Onwong'a said the postmortem findings have thrown the family into confusion.

"Medical findings indicated that the boy may have suffered blood circulatory failure possibly triggered by fear or stress. That revelation has only deepened the family's need for answers. We now want to hear from those who were with him shortly before he collapsed," he said.

The school’s head teacher, Caroline Chebe, said the boy was pronounced dead at 10:10am and the matter was reported at Showground Police Station about two hours later. She said she was informed that the pupil had been rushed to hospital by Onyoni’s teacher.

According to Chebe, Onyoni was among pupils who were outside during class time before they were asked to go inside by their teacher.

Once inside, the teacher asked the group that had been outside to step forward and explain what they were doing during class time.

Onyoni reportedly collapsed before it was his turn to offer an explanation. He was pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital.

Chebe said that immediately she was informed the boy had been rushed to hospital, she followed in the company of two other teachers.

"We immediately called the mother and father. It is a very sad situation that befell the school. We are sorry to the family for whatever happened," she said.