It’s alarming how some schools give the prefect body the authority to discipline their fellow students. In Kisii County’s St. Joseph Nyabigena a student died after a prefect brutally beat him in a mission to instill disciple.
This case has left the administration and the students in shock. The form three student is said to have breathed his last as he was being rushed to nearby Tabaka Mission Hospital.
The hospital administration refused to give any feedback on the deceased, only saying that police were already investigating the puzzling death.
County Police Commander Martin Kibet said, “We are aware of the incident and we will allow detectives to carry out investigations before we conclude on what caused the death.”
It is alleged the student collapsed and died shortly after he was beaten up by a school prefect following an argument.
“The deceased was reading the Bible a few minutes to 7am. The prefect came in and after an altercation, he slapped and kicked him in the stomach after which he collapsed,” said one of the students.
Some teachers in the school told the Nation in confidence that the Principal, Mr Mathew Simiyu addressed the students on the issue even as classmates of the deceased boycotted lunch in protest.
The head teacher declined to speak to journalists on the incident and left the school in a huff.
Detectives from Nyamarambe Police Station later questioned teachers on duty but it was not clear whether anyone had been arrested over the death.
Some of the teachers who spoke to the Nation on condition of anonymity accused the management of giving prefects excessive powers to discipline other students.
“Let those responsible be held and questioned on the matter. It is unfair that a student is allowed to discipline other students,” said one of the teachers