Class 7 pupil dies after teacher hits her on the head

By Kioko Musyoka

A family in Lunga Lunga, Kwale County is mourning their 14-year-old daughter who breathed her last on Friday, January 17, 2020, after she was allegedly hit on the head by her teacher for not having an English textbook.

The incident is reported to have taken place on Thursday, January 16.

The Class Seven pupil from Kanana Genesis Primary School died at the Msambweni Referral County Hospital where she was receiving treatment for internal bleeding after a beating that according to the mother, Memsa Mwajereko, led to the death of her child. 

Memsa said that her daughter, an alleged sickle-cell patient,  died at the hospital as the family sought to get Sh6,000 for X-ray services.

“I had presented medical documents to the school about my daughter’s sickness so that they give her the right treatment which included zero beatings. The school, however, continued canning and even forcing her to clean toilets,” she claimed.

Memsa insisted that her daughter, Aisha Awadh, would still be alive were it not for the teacher, whom she has  accused of being inconsiderate of the child’s condition. She now wants justice. 

“It is the beating that caused my daughter'’ death. The law should take its course because I had informed the school about the danger of beating my daughter,” the distraught mother said.

Awadh Chembea, the deceased's father, called on the government to investigate the matter and possibly transfer all the teachers at the school, claiming that parents have no faith in them.

Speaking to K24 Digital,  area chief Kassim Mwinyihaji, condemned the incident, adding that medical facilities should first attend to patients before asking for payment. 

“It was unfortunate for the teacher to punish the deceased because of her parents’ mistake. Secondly, Aisha’s death would have been avoided if the doctors at Msambweni hospital acted urgently instead of requesting for money first.” Said the chief.

In the wake of this incident, Mbauro Mwabweko, the head teacher at  Kanana Genesis school dismissed the claims that the 14-year-old died as a result of being canned by her teacher, adding that the pupil had been sick for a long time and was always missing lessons while going under treatment in hospital. He said the school just learnt of her death on Friday.

Lunga Lunga Sub-County Police Commander Peter Nzimbi told K24 Digital that the suspect Lydia Munyori, 35, has been arrested and is now waiting to be taken to court.

Mwabweko said that postmortem report showed that the cause of Aisha’s death was a head injury that led to clotting of blood.

Aisha was buried on Monday, January 20, 2020.