Nyeri Family Seeks Answers After 13-Year-Old Daughter Dies in School: "She Was Jovial"

 

Heartbreak and confusion have gripped a family following the sudden death of their daughter, Angeline Kirigo Kinyua, a Form 1 student at Mahiga Girls Secondary School. Angeline's mother received a call that her daughter was critically ill but arrived at the hospital to find her dead.  The 13-year-old girl's parents are now seeking answers to the many questions surrounding her tragic passing. According to her father, Angeline spoke to them over the phone, full of excitement as she talked about having a family gathering to celebrate her older sister’s recent graduation from Strathmore University.

  He vividly recalled their conversation, explaining that she was in high spirits and eager to be home for the celebration as they closed for the holiday. "That evening, she was in a jovial mood, and actually, I can remember that there were so many times that they told each other how much they loved each other and they would be seeing each other in a few days. So there was no complaint that evening about any mode of sickness," he narrated with a heavy heart. How did Angeline's parents know she was hospitalised 

However, just a few hours after her conversation with her family, a call came in the dead of night on their daughter's wellbeing. Angeline's mother, Gladys Moshire, was awakened by a call from the school around 2:30am, informing her that she was gravely ill and in urgent need of medical attention. Shocked and disoriented, she rushed to the hospital in Othaya, where her daughter had been taken. There, she was met with the devastating news that Angeline was already gone. "When I arrived, I found the child lying down and had vomited. I asked if there had been any doctor attending to her, but the doctor told me, 'The child was already deceased when she arrived here," Gladys recalled through tears. 

 What happened to Angeline before death A WhatsApp message by the school’s Parent Teacher Association (PTA) chair revealed that a fellow student noticed something was wrong with Angeline and informed the matron.  The matron then alerted the principal, who acted swiftly, mobilising her deputies to take Angeline to the hospital in a private car. The family began to question the events leading up to Angeline’s death, with conflicting reports leaving them wondering if she had died at school or on the way to the hospital. They also suspect there may have been a lack of transparency from the school administration on what transpired. "We must go and ask the doctor if he has written the report on why the child passed away,” her mother lamented.

But when she asked the doctor, he replied, “I cannot write the report because the child was brought here already deceased. I suggest that you consult the teacher regarding this case.” What are Angeline's family's demands For Angeline’s father, the school’s handling of her case raises deep concerns, questioning where he had to find news of her illness on WhatsApp. “So you can imagine me knowing the details about the death of my daughter, the small part they want us to know through a WhatsApp group just like any other person. I believe even if now it was a goat to be killed, a small discussion would have been held. Now here, we are talking of my daughter," he said, his voice quivering with grief. 

The bereaved family is now calling for a full investigation, demanding clarity and accountability. "As much as I cannot reverse, the death of my girl, I cannot and that is a fact, But also said and done I should have full information from the starting point to the last point," said the grieving father. Angeline’s body lies at the Mary Immaculate Hospital Mortuary, awaiting a postmortem examination that her parents hope will shed light on the tragedy. 

by  Didacus Malowa