Questions after body of student is found in swimming pool

A bitter dispute is brewing between a school in Makueni and the family of a Form Two student following his death last week.

Martin Mugambi's body was found floating in the Miangeni International School’s swimming pool.

On Saturday, the family of Martin Mugambi protested at the Makindu sub-county hospital morgue after learning that a scheduled post-mortem would not happen.

 “We came with our own family pathologist only to be told the procedure wasn’t going to happen because a government pathologist had not been identified. We are hurt. Drained. The body continues to be in a bad state,” said Harun Mwangi, uncle to the boy.

The family, among them the boy's brother Mureithi Mwenda, said that the student's death was suspicious based on some physical appearances accusing the institution of relaying the news hours after the incident.

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The school management says the student might have been disturbed after the parents failed to visit their him during a school fun day and visitation.

“On Saturday, February 8, 202,5 we had a fun day cum visiting day where pupils and students met their parents but Martin’s parents failed to come," said Deputy Principal, Gerald Ndeng’e

"Having been notified of the same, he made calls home and Sh900 were sent which he claimed wasn’t enough and his brother added Sh3,000 more.”

The school reportedly bought him some meals to enjoy just like others but still his friends claimed that he was not satisfied.

“Since Saturday Martin seemed withdrawn and would keep alone away from friends. On Sunday we had a swimming session which we attended with him," a student friend told The Sunday Standard after recording a statement with DCI.

"He didn’t swim but at one point he lightly told me he was contemplating dying by suicide. I didn’t take it serious, we both laughed off as usual and he proceeded to the dormitory to wash his clothes,” he added

Ndeng’e says the boy went missing on Sunday night before the body was found the following day around 11am by the pool attended.

“ As a school, we suspect the boy was disturbed and might have climbed the pool’s walls using a ladder next to their dormitory and died by suicide in the pool,” said Ndeng’e adding that he has been posting good performance.

“This was a student we all had hopes in. He lived well with others and we never experienced any sort of bullying in the school, all students are disciplined,” Silma Awori, senior Teacher, says.

Since the incident happened, detectives have cordoned off the pool section with various people having recorded statements to unravel the mysterious death, according to Makindu sub-county police commander, Jason Appolo.

The investigations will also be piecing together possible CCTV images of that fateful day.