By Wanja Waweru
The family of a 14-year-old student who passed away inexplicably at school is requesting inquiries to determine what exactly caused her death.
Beryl Awuor Onyango, a Form One student at Bishop Abiero Girls Magwar School in Holo, Kisumu County, is said to have fallen ill following class on a Tuesday evening before being declared dead an hour later.
The only known pre-existing medical condition that the deceased’s daughter had was an eye-related condition, according to Mr. Maurice Abeti, the deceased’s father.
About 5.30 p.m., according to Mr. Abeti, the school principal called him to inform him of his daughter’s condition.
The dad, who works for a private security company in Nairobi, claimed that Henry Okulu, the chair of the school board, called him again an hour later to inform him that his only daughter had passed away.
“That was very strange to me since my daughter did not have any condition that could lead to her sudden death,” he said.
Mr Abeti said her eye problem was treated and managed at Nyabondo Mission Hospital.
“I last spoke to my daughter during their half-term break and she was very jovial and promised me that she will work hard and excel in her studies,” she said.
He said that they are pegging hope on the post-mortem results to reveal the real cause of her death, which has left the family in shock.
The school’s board chairman, Mr Okulu, said the administration was informed of the girl’s illness after her classmates escalated the matter.
“We rushed her to the nearest facility before she was transferred to Kombewa Sub-County Hospital where she was pronounced dead,” he said, adding that they have reported the case to the Ministry of Education.
The body was moved to Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital.
