Another Kenyan-born student has been found dead on a US campus in mysterious circumstances.
Erick Kang’ethe, who was born in Nairobi before his parents moved to the US, was studying Computer Engineering at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
He was found dead on campus on Wednesday.
Kang’ethe’s age has not been disclosed but from his social media profile, he is in his early 20s.
Massachusetts State Police said his body was found lying around McGuirk Alumni Stadium at night.
CONDOLENCE
His identity was confirmed later on Thursday, according to campus spokesperson Mary Dettloff.
The cause of death has not yet been disclosed, and the police say they are investigating the case.
“He was a junior studying Computer Engineering at UMass, and hoped to pursue a master’s degree in Security Engineering upon graduating. He also volunteered with the Worcester-based non-profit organisation Cultural Exchange through Soccer (CETS),” reported MassLive.Com news outlet.
The University’s Associate Vice Chancellor David C. Vaillancourt has sent a message of condolence to family and friends of the young scholar.
“We sent our heartfelt condolences to Erick’s family and friends,” Professor Vaillancourt wrote in an email to student on Thursday.
NORAH BORUS
Kang’ethe’s death comes four months after that of Norah Jelagat Borus who was studying at Stanford University.
Ms Borus, who was a top student in the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) exams of 2013, was found dead at her residence.
The late scholar, who sat for her KCSE tests at Precious Blood Riruta, emerged the best girl in Nairobi County.
Her death was the fourth to be reported in Stanford since last February this year, according to the university’s department of students’ affairs.