On May 31, Veron Ntinyari, a Form Three pupil at Ukuu Girls Secondary School in Imenti South, joined other pupils for a football match.
At lunchtime, her classmates said they had enjoyed their meal of rice and beans. The 18-year-old was excited and hoped to score some goals, they said.
About 30 minutes into the first half, she raised her hand and asked to be substituted because she was not feeling well. A few minutes after leaving the pitch, she collapsed. The school nurse and other students frantically administered first aid as she struggled to breathe and rushed her to a nearby clinic.
She responded to treatment, but later fainted again when they returned to the school at around 6.30pm and slipped into a coma. She was rushed to Nkubu Consolata Hospital, where doctors said she had died a few minutes earlier.
Her parents now say their daughter died due to negligence on the part of the school management, who failed to disclose her condition in time.
Her mother, Peninah Kathambi, said according to information they received from their colleagues, Ntinyari could have been saved if she had been rushed to Nkubu Hospital the first time she experienced breathing difficulties.
"The problem was that they did not even inform us that she was unwell. They called when she was already gone," Kathambi said in an interview with Nation , adding that they buried her last Friday.
"My daughter had never complained of any health problem and I was shocked by the turn of events. I still believe that if we had known earlier, we would have tried to save her life," she added.
She lamented that her daughter died because of negligence, shattering her dream of becoming a nurse.
"We were close and she told me she was working hard to prepare for her KCSE (Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education) exam next year. She wanted to become a nurse or a teacher. But these dreams are going up in smoke. I am so devastated that I have not even collected her belongings from school. You can keep them until I get my strength back," she said.
Her father, Bob Kathurima, said the post-mortem showed that Ntinyari died from lack of oxygen.
"The pathologist said when she tried to vomit, the rice she had for lunch blocked her airway. It was unfortunate that although it happened around 4pm, we were informed at 7pm when it was too late," he said.
They were also informed that when Ntinyari was taken to the hospital, she was not admitted because those accompanying her had to obtain a P3 form from the police, meaning she was already dead, he said.
When contacted for comment, the principal of the school Mary Njagi refused to give any further information about the incident.
