Eleven-year-old boy commits suicide at school dormitory in Meru

The guardian of an 11-year-old school boy who died in a school dormitory has disputed claims that the child killed himself.

Maara police boss Johnstone Kabusia, said the Class Five pupil at Kajiunduthi Boarding Primary School hang himself using his belt on Monday.

He said the matter was reported by the school's head teacher, Catherine Murithi.

"The boy had gone home after developing dental problems so he could be taken to hospital," said Mr Kabusia.

After his tooth was extracted, the guardian accompanied him back to school and left while the boy went to the dormitory to keep his luggage," said Kabusia.

The boy took long in the dormitory, prompting a colleague to go find out what he was doing. He found him groaning in pain with a belt around his neck.

He was rushed to Chogoria Mission Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

ANOTHER SCHOOL

Kabusia said there was speculation that the boy had wanted to be transferred to another school.

However, the boy's guardian disputed the claims.

She said the boy was not unhappy with the school, as alleged by police, as he was the one who had chosen it and had barely stayed a term in the institution.

"The boy was very jovial when I was taking him back to school and I had also trained him to speak out when he had a pressing issue. I have never heard him complain about the school and his death has totally confused me," she said.

The guardian has demanded to be shown photographs of the boy hanging from the bed, saying it was not practical for him to do so.

She also claimed that the boy was dead by the time he was taken to hospital.

Maara sub-county Director of Education Samuel Macharia said his office was investigating the incident.