St Don Bosco schoolboy's head was crushed — post-mortem report

St Don Bosco Secondary School in Nyamira County. [Stanley Ongwae/Standard].

The St Don Bosco Secondary Schoolboy whose decomposing body was found in a school latrine died of an injury inflicted on his head by a blunt object, a post mortem report has revealed.

According to the report that was compiled by Government Pathologist Dr Denis Nyabera, the Form Two boy, Wycliffe Okio Mayieka, died as a result of an injury and bleeding in the head that was occasioned by an assault by use of a blunt object.

“As a result of my examination, I formed an opinion that the cause of death was cardiorespiratory arrest secondary to brain tissue damage due to a closed head injury by a blunt object,” the report read in part.

The doctor also indicated that prior to the death, the victim had suffered a linear fracture to the skull where clotted blood was found.

The boy had died approximately 14 days before his decomposed body was recovered from the school lavatory.

The doctor's opinion marries with the dates when the boy disappeared from school on Sunday May 19, 2019, until when his body was found on June 2.

The pathologist’s report further contradicted an earlier version of reports that the schoolboy had committed suicide in the latrine.

The youngster's two hands were tightly tied with a white rope when the body was found, evoking questions on how he may have committed suicide by hanging himself while the hands were tied.

The body was found on the floor of the latrine with a mosquito net thread hanging from the roof.

The boy's father, Robinson Mayieka, has dismissed the claims that his son committed suicide saying the school administration must be held responsible for the death.

"My son was killed in cold blood and all the people who were involved should be held to account," Mayieka said.

Two suspected suicide note leaves which were reportedly retrieved from his box and locker are subjects of investigations with samples of his handwriting being sent to the Government Document Examiner, alongside the notes for certification if they truly were authored by him.

The post mortem report ruled out the theory of death by strangulation and left an unexploited gap of a well-planned cover-up of a possible murder which has shaken the region’s education stakeholders.

A teacher from the adjacent primary school who never wanted to be identified due to the sensitivity of the matter told the Standard that the security guards ignored the strong stench that caught the attention of passersby.

“A week before the body was discovered in the latrine, I sensed there was a strong and unusual smell from the side of the fence. How comes the guard could not sense it and yet the latrines where the body was discovered is just five meters from the entry?" the witness posed.

The school latrines where the body was found are adjacent to the main gate and the wall bordering the Gesima-Mochenwa Road.

Parents to the deceased boy are now asking the DCI and DPP to do a thorough job to ensure that those who are found culpable are brought to justice.

County Criminal Investigations officer Monica Ong'ayo has assured the parents that her team of investigators will not leave any stone unturned in the case.

"We are going on with our investigations and soon they will see progress after the DCI and Office of Director of Public Prosecutions have been fully informed about the mater," Ms Ong'ayo said.