As the body of 15-year-old Irene Wambui was lowered to the grave on October 31, 2024, a cloud of sorrow hovered over the sprawling Kibingoti village in Kirinyaga County.
Wambui, who until her death was a Form One student at Mukui Secondary School in Ndia Constituency, had been sent home on October 16 over non-payment of school fees.
But she never arrived home that day, throwing her family into panic. She was reported missing the following day.
Four days later after agonising searches, Wambui was found dead in Sagana River, and her school uniform, which she was wearing before her mysterious death, missing.
Following recovery of her body, police began investigations to unravel the mystery surrounding the death of the learner.
Police have questioned five students, who were last seen with Wambui before she met her death, to shed light on what could have happened to their colleague.
Kirinyaga West sub-County police boss Moses Koskei said detectives want to establish whether the students were linked to the death.
“The deceased was among six students who were sent home over school fee arrears when she died in unclear circumstances," he said.
Mr Koskei noted that after the student allegedly drowned, her five colleagues hid her uniform and they never reported the matter to anyone.
“After the student went missing, the five students did not report the matter to the school management or the family. On October 20, detectives found the body in Sagana River following a tip-off by the public…
“The body was retrieved and positively identified by the deceased's family. It was taken to Murang'a Referral Hospital mortuary for postmortem examination. I was at Mashujaa Day Celebrations when I got the information," the police boss said.
He explained that detectives were probing the five students after they led them to where they buried the uniform of their colleague after she allegedly drowned.
“We are investigating to establish why the students kept quiet after the deceased went missing and to find out why they dug a hole on the river bank and buried the uniform,” said Mr Koskei.
The family narrated how they looked for their daughter everywhere after she disappeared but did not find her.
“After Wambui failed to come back home, we unsuccessfully looked for her and reported the matter to police. A few days later, her lifeless body was traced in the river,” said Ms Lydiah Muriithi, grandmother of the deceased.
Ms Muriithi, who is also a nominated MCA, said the family was crying out for justice following what happened to their daughter.
She wondered why the five students were secretive about the incident until detectives from Baricho Police Station intervened, and demanded that justice must be done.
"We suspect foul play and detectives must get to the bottom of the matter. My granddaughter was sent home over fee arrears and that was the last day she was seen alive," she said.
Mr Simon Gatitu, an uncle of the deceased, said he was the one who was taking care of the deceased after her mother died.
"I was at home when I was called by the police to identify the body. I could not believe that Wambui was no more until I saw her body," said Mr Gatitu.
He described Wambui as an obedient and joyous person whose life had been cut short by the cruel hand of death.
Mr Koskei asked the family to be patient, assuring them that no stone would be left unturned.
During the burial on Thursday, residents and colleagues eulogised the deceased as a humble, hardworking and bright learner whose life had been cut short.
Some relatives, teachers, students and friends broke down during the funeral and they had to be assisted away.
The mourners also asked the school's management to stop sending students home over school fees to avoid such deaths.
“Teachers should reach out to parents or guardians instead of suspending students who have not paid fees. If the student had not been sent home she could still be alive today," one of the mourners said.
