Mystery surrounds the death of a 14-year-old Grade Eight pupil at Moi Comprehensive School in Nakuru City, who died just hours after reporting to school on Monday.
Moses Joseph Onyoni collapsed under unclear circumstances while at school and died on the spot.
According to his mother, Lillian Moraa, who is a resident of Ngata, her son woke up in good health.
In an interview with Nation , Ms Moraa revealed that she woke up early, prepared her son for school as usual and saw him off to board a school bus.
“We had breakfast together, and my son was in good health. He never complained of any illness. After breakfast, we parted ways as he was picked up by the school bus. But hours later, I received a call informing me that he had fallen sick. I did not know that my son was already dead,” said Ms Moraa.
At around 8am a member of the school administration called her and asked her to rush to the school because her son was unwell.
“The caller told me that my son was unconscious,” she recalled.
By the time she arrived, her son had already been rushed to the nearby Nakuru Teaching and Referral Hospital.
“At the facility, I was first asked about my son’s health status when he left home that morning. I told them he was healthy and had not complained of any issue. The urgency heightened my anxiety. It was then that I was informed that my son had died. My world was shattered,” said Moraa.
According to information relayed to her by some administrators and teachers, the boy had been joking with his classmates in class. When the teacher called them to the front for discipline, Onyoni allegedly stood near a wall before he suddenly collapsed and lost consciousness.
“At the hospital, I was not immediately allowed to see my son’s body. Instead, I was asked about whether he had complained of any illness or shown any unusual signs before leaving home. They told me he had fallen unconscious and that he passed away while doctors were attending to him. I wonder what transpired until he met his death. I just want answers.
Ms Doreen Nyanchama, a relative, said the family needs a proper explanation of what transpired at the school.
“We have heard varying versions of what happened at the school. This has left the family in confusion. All we want is a thorough probe to establish the circumstances surrounding the death. We are confused because we are getting different stories. Some teachers say the boy was beaten for making noise in class, while others say he simply fainted. If he fainted, let it be made clear. If there was any form of punishment that should also come out,” said Ms Nyanchama.
Nakuru County Director of Education Victoria Mulili said investigations have been launched into the incident.
“My officers have visited the school, and we have initiated investigations to establish what transpired before the learner died,” Ms Mulili told Daily Nation .
Angry parents wheel a cadaver trolley carrying the body of a Grade Eight pupil into Moi Comprehensive School in Nakuru City on February 23, 2026, after retrieving it from Nakuru County Referral and Teaching Hospital.
Photo credit: Boniface Mwangi | Nation Media Group
Nakuru Teaching and Referral Hospital Medical Superintendent Dr James Waweru said the learner was brought to the facility at around 9 am while already deceased.
Dr Waweru explained that before the body was admitted to the mortuary, hospital management requested a police report as it was considered a police case.
“We did not refuse to take in the body as he was already dead. That is why the casualty team demanded an OB number. According to the school management, the boy did not show any form of illness before he collapsed. We need to wait for a post-mortem to establish the circumstances surrounding his death,” said Dr Waweru.
The incident, which occurred just hours before learners were released for the half-term break, caused panic at the school and drew scores of anxious parents to the institution, with many demanding answers from the administration.
The situation caused a standoff at the institution, paralysing learning for the better part of Monday morning.
Shocked parents gather around a cadaver trolley carrying the body of a Grade Eight pupil at Nakuru County Referral and Teaching Hospital on February 23, 2026.
Photo credit: Boniface Mwangi | Nation Media Group
The parents accused the school management of failing to provide a clear account of what had transpired.
Some claimed they had received conflicting reports about the circumstances leading to the pupil’s death. Police officers were deployed to the school to contain the situation and prevent further escalation.
At one point, parents blocked police from dispersing the crowd, insisting that senior education officials address them.
For hours, the school gates remained crowded. It took police intervention to move the body to the mortuary.
“When I heard what had transpired, I rushed to the school. It is traumatising. We just hope the school will address this,” said one parent.
