Embu university student commits suicide over retake fee

Police in Embu are investigating the death of a third-year student at Embu University who is believed to have committed suicide.

Brian Mwenda, 21, is said to have hanged himself with a belt in his rental house on Tuesday.   

His colleagues said Mwenda had been concerned about getting Sh89,000 to resit exams for 10 academic units. He had failed the exams.

They said Mwenda had no idea where he would get the money but they encouraged him not to panic.

Mwenda's anxiety was aggravated by the fact that the resit fee had recently been increased from Sh3,000 per unit to Sh8,900.

His landlord, Cyrus Njue, said he was called at around 1pm by other students who rented his rooms and found Mwenda’s body dangling from the ceiling.

Njue said he immediately informed the area assistant chief who called the police.

The landlord said the student had not shown any signs of depression and would greet him and his wife every day on his way to school.

He described the death as a shock.

His wife, Faith Njue, said the student rented the house last year just after the Covid-19 outbreak and had a good relationship with everybody in the area.

She said Mwenda approached them and requested to be allowed to be pay rent later than the agreed date because his family had financial difficulties. 

Faith said they agreed after he explained that he was an orphan who depended on his grandfather for upkeep. 

“The student would eventually pay his rent even though he used to pay late,” she said.

University of Embu deputy vice chancellor in charge of academics, research and extension Kiplagat Kotut said they had received a report of the student’s death, but the matter was being investigated by the police since it happened outside campus.

Embu county police commander Daniel Rukunga confirmed police had launched investigations.

Edited by Kiilu Damaris