Teacher dies in Laikipia after drinking session

A secondary school teacher was found dead on Saturday morning after a night spent drinking liquor at homestead in Daiga division, Laikipia East sub-county.

Angry students and villagers stormed the home of a local brewer of illicit liquor where the body of the teacher, Vincent Maina Gichohi, 46, was found and set it ablaze.

The deceased was a teacher at Kalalu Secondary School which is about 200 metres from the home where he was drinking.

The school principal Joseph Gachagua said the teacher was on duty on Friday and had not complained of any sickness and the death was mysterious.

“After the lessons he had asked a student to call a boda boda to take him home but the student did not find one and it was not established where he went until he was found dead,” Mr Gachagua said.

He said the teacher’s body had been dragged about 50 metres from the house where he is suspected to have been drinking, and the owner of the homestead had not reported the death to police.

“We cannot say exactly what caused the death but we want police to speed up their investigations so that we can be at peace,” he said.

He said that residents have been complaining to police and local administrators about the rampant sale of illicit liquor in homesteads near the school but no action has been taken.

Area chief Wangombe Wanjau said police saved the owner of the homestead from being lynched by the mob. He was taken to Umande where he was locked up for questioning.

The teacher’s body was taken to Nanyuki Teaching and Referral Hospital mortuary.