Senior students force Form One to take Ethanol

By ROBERT KIPLAGAT B

BARINGO, KENYA: A form one student at Kituro Secondary school in Baringo County is fighting for his life at Kabarnet District Hospital after suspected senior students forced him to drink laboratory chemical in what is believed to be a bullying incident.

Salat Kipkoech,15,is said to have been cornered by two form four students at the dormitory on Monday evening and forced him to drink Ethanol,arousing alarm from those who witnessed and called the teachers who took him to hospital.

Efforts by the press to get a comment from the victimized student were not successful as the student was still weak to talk.

The parents of the student led by Joseph Chepkonga,the father accused the school of failing to take precautionary measures in addressing the bullying of their son saying that it was not the first time the student had been bullied at the school.

“It is not the first time he (Kipkoech) has been bullied. Last month, he sent me a text message saying that his life at the school was in danger and that he was being harassed, we spoke with the principal and solved the issue and am shocked that he has indeed been poisoned,” said the parent.

Chepkong’a who works as a Chief Security officer at Kenya Technical Teachers College (KTTC) Nairobi said the school did not inform him of the incident immediately until Tuesday morning which he said was against the law.

“I was just informed of the story  12 hours later by the Deputy principal and I had to travel all the way from Nairobi and to make it worse,the school was yet to report the incident to the police despite it being a criminal offense,”said Chepkong’a.

He said the incident can amount to attempted murder especially in the sense that,those who committed the act were form four student who knew what they were doing.

The enraged parent said that he is bitter since the suspects were freely roaming at the school and the school has not taken any disciplinary action against them despite them being known.

Chepkong’a said he has already recorded a statement with the police and that legal action must be taken against the culprits as a lesson.

The hospital Medical Superintendent Dr Muruka Kays said the medical condition of the student was stable and could be discharged anytime.

“As long as he is still at this hospital,the condition is stable as he is receiving treatment and there is not cause for alarm,”he said.

Contacted for comment,school principal Mrs Salina Rotich,exonerated herself from the blame saying that the school was still trying to get into the bottom of the matter.

“We heard that some three students took Ethanol from the school laboratory and we are trying to get into the depth of how one student took the chemical,”explained Rotich.

She said the school did not delay to inform the parents of the student saying that they were busy at the hospital seeking medication for the student adding that she had informed police of the incident and was told to wait till the student gets well to record statement.

Area OCPD Omondi Musewe said police are still investigating the incident and that they are relying on the hospital and the school information to be able to arrest the culprits.