Family demands answers over boy's sudden death

A nurse conducts her duties at Cherangany nursing home. [Courtesy]

A family in Nandi County is mourning the death of their son who was sitting the ongoing Kenya Certificate of Secondary Examination (KCSE).

The family claims he was assaulted.

Aaron Kipyator, a student at St Joseph Boys National School Kitale, died at Cherangany nursing home last Sunday after being rushed there by his teachers.

Medical reports indicated that the 18-year-old student was assessed and found to have been unconscious with a stuffed neck after being taken to the hospital.

Kipyator reportedly complained of headache, dizziness, and vomiting prior to his death.
According to the school Principal Godfrey Owori, the deceased was attended to at the school clinic where a malaria test turned positive.

He was put on oral antimalarial drugs and later changed to an injection on the second day due to non-responsiveness.

"The student was complaining of headache, dizziness, and vomiting and when he was attended to, malaria test was conducted and it turned positive, and was put on treatment," Owori told The Saturday Standard.

The student was taken to Cherangany nursing home when his condition worsened, said the principal.
Kipyator died within five hours of the hospital admission.

An autopsy report shows that the student died as a result of esophageal rupture complications.

The report by Dr Eric Chesori, a pathologist, indicated that there were no external injuries and no skull fracture.

But despite the autopsy report, the family claimed foul play and demanded answers over the death of their son.
Kipyator's mother Leah Melly alleged that her son was assaulted before he died.

"My son could have been assaulted before he died. My son was not suffering from any disease, how come he died within two days?" Ms Melly queried.

She said the family had postponed burial, which was expected to occur yesterday (Friday) to Saturday next week as they seek answers from the school on his death.

The principal denied claims that the student died as a result of an assault.

"The assault claims are untrue. Nobody assaulted the student before he died. The postmortem has been conducted and there is no proof that the deceased was assaulted," he said.

He described the student's death as a big blow to the student owing to the fact that he was a candidate.

"We are mourning his death and it is a big loss to the school," said Owori.
He said the autopsy had indicated the cause of death and absolved the school from any wrongdoing.