Family cries foul after Lenana School student succumbs to chicken pox
The family of a Form Three student who died at Lenana School on Saturday evening is calling for an investigation into the circumstance of his death.
Amos Mumo Mutie, 18, died after suffering a bout of chicken pox and being admitted at the school’s sanatorium for days.
According to the deceased’s uncle Peter Musyoka, the school had assured the family that their son’s condition was stable despite his mother’s wish to pick him for treatment.
“His mother called Saturday at 1pm and was told his condition had improved. She requested to talk to him but was told it was impossible to do so,” Mr Musyoka told Nairobi News.
According to a doctor’s report from PCEA Kikuyu Mission Hospital, the student was dead on arrival at the facility.
“The doctor told us our son was brought in at 5pm and when he certified that he was dead he told the (school’s) administration to make a police report. We have an OB number from Kikuyu police station to that effect,” said the uncle.
SCHOOL PRINCIPAL
Lenana School Principal William Kiplagat Kemei told journalists that only the Ministry of Education will comment on the matter.
Nairobi regional coordinator of education John Ololtuaa said the ministry is conducting an investigation to determine the circumstance of death.
“According to the nurses he was taken ill on Wednesday and when they determined he had chicken pox he was being treated in isolation at the sanatorium. On Saturday afternoon, he developed breathing complications and was rushed to Kikuyu Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival,” Mr Ololtuaa said.
“Investigations just to find out what exactly happened are going on, we want to find out if there were any delays in any quarter. Once my quality assurance team completes the investigation we should be able to get to the bottom of the matter,” he added.
He added that the ministry in consultation with the administration allowed the students to go home and expect them back Sunday.
CONDITION WORSENED
According to one of his friends, the student’s condition worsened to the point that he could not eat any solid foods a day before he died.
“At some point he could no longer talk to us so when we visited he just gave me his log book and pointed at his uncle’s number, I notified the nurse and the house master that his condition was worsening,” the student’s friend told Nairobi News.
Doctors at the Kikuyu Hospital gave the family a report indicating that the student had already died by the time he was brought to the facility.
“We have the doctor’s report but we are still waiting for the school’s report on what exactly happened as the hospital gave us a report indicating that our boy had died before getting to the hospital,” said the deceased’s uncle, Peter Musyoka.