A family from Baringo is appealing for justice after their teenage son died in unclear circumstances in Meru.
Evandus Tuitoek, 19, was a second-year student of Kenya Methodist University, Meru campus, where he was pursuing a degree in Education.
His uncle Duncan Kibet who admitted him at the university said the student was in good health.
“We only got the report on Saturday evening that Tuitoek was found dead outside the hostel where he resided,” Kibet said.
They said they have tried to find out what happened to him.
“We were shocked that the Vice Chancellor was not even concerned to find out what led to his death like its normal for a student to just die. He said about five students have died since he assumed office,” Kibet said.
Tuitoek, Kibet said, was moved from the main hostels without their knowledge and had to seek an alternative hostel.
The school administration said he fell as he climbed over the gate of the hostel he had rented.
“We suspect there is a cover-up as the postmortem indicates he died from a cardiac arrest."
Kibet said they suspect the student might have been murdered and they have sent samples to Nairobi to unravel the mystery.
He called upon DCI George Kinoti should intervene to help the family get justice.
Tuitoek was to take part in a badminton game and was given some money as the custodian of the students who were to go for games in Karatina.
He was reportedly in the company of about seven friends on the day he died.
John Kiptek said he went to the scene where his grandson is alleged to have fallen and "it is not viable for him to have died in such a manner as the gate was too short".
He called on DPP Noordin Haji and Education CS George Magoha to intervene accusing the university of being uncooperative in shedding light on what happened.
He said it was hard to get details from the students who were supposedly with him that night, "only one spoke with them".
Kiptek said they should be investigated too.
Vice Chancellor Maurice Okoth confirmed the deceased was indeed their student. He said the institution has a policy of providing hostels to students only in their first year, after which they are allowed to seek other options "to also give room for investors to benefit".
He said the badminton team was to leave for games in Karatina on Saturday.
"All was well until October 25 when they went to the captain's house and had a meal. They drank alcohol until 4am and since they were supposed to leave at 6am, went to sleep," Okoth said.
"It is alleged that on reaching the hostel, the landlord heard a bang before finding the student's body on the ground. It looked like as he climbed, he slipped due to the heavy rains and sustained head injuries."
He was rushed to hospital but was pronounced dead at Meru Teaching and Referral Hospital.
The VC said Tuitoek's friends tried to reach him before the trip and even proceeded on the trip without him. "They learnt about what happened later."
The VC said police visited the scene and investigations are ongoing, adding that the first postmortem was also done in the presence of the family.
"They objected to the findings of the first postmortem that indicated the deceased might have suffered a cardiac arrest. They decided to do the second postmortem but the results were similar," he said.
The body, which was lying at the referral facility's mortuary, has been taken for burial.
Edited by R.Wamochie
