For nearly three years, Emily Chebet has carried a mother’s unbearable grief, the weight of unanswered questions, suppressed cries, and sleepless nights since the day her 14-year-old son, Enock Kipkoech, died under horrifying circumstances at school.
But on July 28, 2025, inside a courtroom in Kericho, the silence that had engulfed her life was finally shattered. The truth, long buried under denial and bureaucracy, was laid bare.
The court ruled that teachers Haron Koskei and Philemon Koskei of St. Teresa Primary School, Kipchimchim, were responsible for Enock’s death, and would now face murder charges.
As the ruling was read out, Emily trembled. Her tears fell not just in pain but in relief, the kind that only a grieving mother can know when justice finally whispers back.
“Though nothing can bring my son back, I thank God because justice has a voice, and today, it was heard,” she wrote on her Facebook page.
She added, “The God who sees in secret has brought light to the darkness. Rest well, my son. Mama will never stop fighting for you.”
Enock had been in perfect health when he left home on September 27, 2022. But by the end of the day, he was dead, his lifeless body found hanging in a school bathroom.
His parents were told it was suicide. But Emily and her husband, Dr. Richard Siele, a lecturer at Moi University, refused to believe it. Now, the court agrees.
Senior Resident Magistrate Japhet Bii ruled that the two teachers grossly and unlawfully inflicted harm that led to Enock’s death.
Testimonies revealed that Enock was brutally caned, and photos confirmed deep injuries to his body. The court even noted that the scene of the hanging looked “staged.”
One of the accused, Aron Koskei, disturbingly showed no remorse. He admitted to beating the boy with a stick during exams and revealed he’d been teaching for 10 years without a valid TSC number.
The ruling has opened the door for murder charges, as the Director of Public Prosecutions is now expected to act on the court’s recommendation.