University of Embu student Daniel Amaya, 23, who was found dead in a dam within the learning institution on February 22, 2025.
The mysterious death of a university student whose body was found floating in a dam after going missing has thrown a Kisii family into mourning.
The second-year student at Embu University identified by the family as Daniel Amaya,23, disappeared on February 19, 2025, in unclear circumstances.
However, three days later, his lifeless body was spotted floating in a dam within the learning institution.
Students stumbled upon Amaya’s body and reported the matter to the university administration, which in turn alerted the police.
It was then that police drove to the scene, pulled out the decomposing body, and took it to Embu Level Five Hospital mortuary for postmortem, whose results confirmed that Amaya died by drowning.
Speaking on behalf of the family, Mr Josphat Change said they received the sad news last Wednesday that their son was missing, forcing them to travel from Kisii to Embu County to look for him.
"We had to come all the way to search for our son after being informed that he was nowhere to be seen," said Mr Change, a brother of the deceased.
The family looked for Amaya in hospitals, mortuaries, and other places but they couldn't find him.
On Saturday, February 22, they were informed that a body had been seen floating in a dam inside the university compound, and when they rushed to the scene where they positively identified it as that of their son.
"According to the doctor at the hospital, our son died due to drowning but we want to know what really transpired. Detectives should dig deeper to establish the circumstances under which he drowned," said Mr Change, adding that their son had not complained of any condition that could have led to him taking his own life.
The family wanted to know whether there was foul play and they told the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) to get to the bottom of the matter.
"Thorough investigations should be carried out so that the truth of the matter can be established. We want to know how our son died and his body dumped in a dam," said Mr Change.
Journalists covering the postmortem were, however, barred from obtaining further details on the circumstances under which the student met his death as detectives overseeing the process ordered them to leave the morgue.
After the exercise, the journalists sought clarification on the findings from the pathologist but were told he had already left the premises.
The family said they would not rest until they were told how their son went to the dam unnoticed and drowned, adding that the matter should be treated with the seriousness it deserves.
Since January this year, three students have been found dead in mysterious circumstances in Embu University, raising questions over the safety of learners.
