A primary school head teacher has committed suicide in Mwingi Central, Kitui county.
Kioko Mutie hanged himself in his office at Yanyonge Primary School on Monday evening.
The 46-year-old teacher left no suicide note, Mwingi Central subcounty police commander Peter Mutuma said.
A teacher at the school who did not want to be named claimed Mutie was unhappy after he was moved to Mwingi from his home county of Makueni a year ago.
The Teachers Service Commission has been transferring school heads in a delocalisation process which has largely been opposed by unions.
The teacher claimed Mutie's posting to Mwingi was against his wish.
On that fateful Monday, Mutie went to his office at about 3.40pm after concluding a lesson, the teacher told the Star.
“A few moments later, he went to the toilet and then returned to his office and locked the door from inside.”
After about half an hour, the teachers who were in the staffroom got curious. They decided to check on their boss arguing that it was not normal for Mutie to lock his office from inside for that long.
They knocked but there was no response. The teachers then decided to break in. They found Mutie's body hanging on a manila rope from the roof.
The matter was immediately reported to police.
The teachers said Mutie's belt was found in the toilet, an indication he might have tried to take away his life there.
Teachers and parents described him as a lover of education who always reported to work very early in the morning.
The tutors said Mutie had promised to improve Yanyonge's performance in KCPE exams and that students' performance was already looking up.
Area assistant chief Mulinge Wambua said the headteacher was full of life and never showed signs of depression.
He said it was sad losing a dedicated tutor.
Parent Esther Munyoki said Mutie's death was a big blow to the school and the local community. She said the teacher was ready to listen to parents.
“He would hardly send our children home and was always ready to listen to us,” Munyoki said.
Another parent Agnes Muli said she was saddened by Mutie's death given that they had spoken the previous day and he never showed signs of depression.
“We have lost a dedicated teacher. We will miss surely miss him," Muli said.
Edited by P.O
