A family in Karia-ini village, Murang’a South subcounty, wants police to investigate the death of a 13-year-old boy on Sunday.
Fredrick Waweru, a Class 8 pupil, remained home as his family left for the church only to be found dead hours later.
His mother Mary Wairimu explained that he woke him up around 8am and they had breakfast together before she went off to do a few chores.
She sent the boy to fetch water and feed their cow and afterwards he cleaned up his room.
“I told him to prepare so that we could go to church and he said he did not feel like going to church, so I left him at home,” she said.
At church, Wairimu felt uneasy and went back home after the service at 2pm to find the boy in his room dead.
He was on his knees on the floor, with a bed sheet tied to his neck that went all the way to the ceiling.
Shocked, the mother broke into screams that attracted the neighbours and the boy’s body was taken to the mortuary.
Speaking to the Star on the phone on Friday, the mother said she was yet to recover from the shock even as the family laid Waweru's body to rest.
She said she had lost a disciplined boy who was the last born among her six children.
“Were his actions on his final morning the actions of a suicidal child? How can one commit suicide and remain on his knees,” she wondered, saying she had no idea who could have wanted to hurt her son.
Kiugu-ini Primay School head teacher Bildad Kaburia said Waweru was an average student but was disciplined and active in school activities.
He led the scouts team and would fetch food for a special children’s class at the school every day. The teacher said the boy rarely had any issues with teachers and that the school fraternity is shocked over his death.
“We would want the police to establish what happened to the boy, so that the family and my other pupils can have closure,” the teacher said.
Karia-ini assistant chief Peter Maina confirmed he visited the home when the death was reported and the boy’s body was in a kneeling position.
He said the matter has been taken up by the local police who picked the body but urged the family to follow up.
Edited by Henry Makori
