A 16-year-old Form Three student at Chuka Girls High School in Tharaka Nithi County has died after she was allegedly found hanging inside a dormitory at the school on Wednesday evening.
The student, identified as Cynthia Mwende, was found inside the dormitory as the circumstances surrounding her death remained unclear.
Police are investigating the incident to establish what happened before she was found.
Tharaka Nithi County Police Commander Zacheaus Ng’eno said the motive behind the suspected suicide had not been established. He added that the student’s body had no visible injuries or marks.
The body was taken to Chuka Level 5 Hospital as investigations continued. Police are expected to establish the circumstances surrounding the student’s death and determine what may have happened before the incident.
Mwende’s parents arrived at the school on Wednesday, October 7, evening following the incident and were still engaging with the school management as investigations continued.
The death has raised concerns over the challenges faced by students and the importance of ensuring that learners have access to support when dealing with personal or emotional difficulties.
Ng’eno urged members of the public facing challenges to speak up and seek help instead of taking their own lives. His call came as investigators continued working to establish the circumstances surrounding the student’s death.
Kenya’s education system has guidance and counselling structures intended to support learners dealing with personal, social and emotional challenges. The Ministry of Education has also emphasised the importance of mental health and life-skills education in schools as part of efforts to strengthen support for learners.
However, the circumstances surrounding Mwende’s death remain unclear, and no motive has been established by police.The investigation is expected to shed more light on the events preceding the incident.
Efforts by journalists to obtain a comment from Chuka Girls High School principal Harriet Kinyua were unsuccessful, as she declined to comment on the incident.
