• Book found with their parents' names and a note saying, 'Bye our good friend Sarah'.
• They were found unconscious in their beds in the dormitory.
One pupil in West Pokot county has committed suicide by drinking insecticide and her friend who also took poison has been hospitalised.
Both 14-year-old girls were friends and pupils at a primary school.
The reason one took her life and the other girl tried but failed is not known.
They both drank acaricide, a mite and tick poison, in their dormitory on Tuesday evening.
One is hospitalised at Moi Teaching Referral Hospital Eldoret.
The suicide and attempted suicide shocked have pupils, parents and teachers as they ponder what might have pushed the two to try and end their lives.
West Pokot criminal investigation officer Michael Mwenze said the two took acaricide, a readily available mite and tick poison.
"We established that the two took neuro trap chemicals after they locked themselves inside the dormitory where they mixed it with water, " Mwenze said.
He said statements recorded by the matron and a teacher revealed that the two sneaked out of school on Tuesday for games in Makutano town where they were not participating.
They secluded themselves and were seen talking to each other before buying the 50ml poison and sneaking back into school in the evening, the statements said.
Mwenze said during evening classes when the teacher was distributing sanitary towels, she discovered the pupils were missing. They were found unconscious in their beds.
The officer said they left their parents' names in an exercise book, including a remark; "Bye, our good friend Sarah", which was found on one of their beds.
"They were rushed to Kapenguria Referral Hospital. unfortunately, Leah Cherop died, Mwenze said.
"Silvia Chelimo was later transferred to MTRH where she is recuperating. A postmortem was done and we are awaiting results from government chemist," he said.
Mwenze said suicides have increased in the county. He advised victims of depression to seek counsellors, despite few being available.
"Guiding and counselling should be enforced in learning institutions. Parents should be close to their children and try to establish what's stressing them. Many youths are depressed out of betting and losing a lot of money in gambling. "
(Edited by R.Wamochie)