Teargas, protests as pressure mounts over mysterious death of Gilgil pupil

On Tuesday, police were deployed and used teargas to disperse demonstrators who had again lit bonfires and disrupted traffic in the town. /SCREENGRAB

Pressure is mounting for transparency over the circumstances surrounding the death of a three-year-old pupil at Gilgil Hills Academy in Nakuru county following conflicting accounts of how the child died.

A postmortem examination indicated that Faiz Faraj died from injuries consistent with a severe head impact, contradicting initial claims by the school that he drowned.

Faraj was reportedly found dead in a fish pond within the school compound on Friday, March 27, after being missing for about three hours. He allegedly went missing at around 11am and was found at around 1pm.

However, the postmortem found no water in his lungs or digestive system, further casting doubt on the drowning account.

The findings have intensified calls for answers, prompting parents and local leaders led by Gilgil MP Martha Wangari to stage protests as the mystery surrounding the child’s death deepens.

Residents of Gilgil town held the first round of protests on Monday, blocking roads and burning tyres to express their anger over the incident.

On Tuesday, police were deployed and used teargas to disperse demonstrators who had again lit bonfires and disrupted traffic in the town.

"The questions being asked by family and community are indeed questions that deserve answers. In what state was the child? Which teacher spoke to him? What has the school head said and if water was the cause of death, has a pathologist confirmed that?" Wangari said.

The MP condemned the police for using force to disperse the demonstrations and for threatening to arrest protesters, saying parents have a right to demand answers over the pupil’s death.

"One officer has just passed here boasting that they will arrest another 20 people. We don't fear them, this is part of the work they are saying we should do as MPs," she said.

Nakuru County Criminal Investigation Officer (CCIO) Samuel Ngeiywa said investigations are ongoing, but preliminary findings following the postmortem indicated that the child may have drowned.

He said samples have been taken to the Government Chemist for further analysis to conclusively establish the cause of death.

The school administration maintained that the child was found unresponsive in the pond and was rushed to hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Ngeiywa said six people, including five teachers and a pond attendant, have recorded statements as part of the investigations.

"What we have done is all part of efforts to establish what happened. The postmortem was incomplete, tomorrow (Wednesday) we will take some samples to the Government Chemist for toxicology tests," he said.

Area MCA Rose Njoroge said parents suspect a cover-up in the circumstances surrounding the child’s death.

"Their biggest aim is to know the true circumstances under which their child died. Had that been done, we would never have gotten to this point (of demonstrating)," she said.

Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba on Sunday confirmed the launch of thorough investigations into the incident, describing it as painful and sorrowful.

"The ministry, working together with the relevant investigative agencies, has commissioned an inquiry into the circumstances that led to the unfortunate incident, for appropriate action," he said, while condoling with the family and directing school heads to strictly implement safety protocols to protect learners.

The Safety Standards Manual for Schools emphasises learner safety as central to the provision of quality education and is particularly critical for learners at the basic education level in view of their relatively tender ages.