Matron at Mumbi Girls found dead in suspected suicide

Mumbi Girls High School in Murang’a County where the body of the institution's was found in her house on May 21, 2019. It is suspected that she committed suicide. PHOTO | NDUNG'U GACHANE | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • The matron's body was discovered Tuesday morning in her house in the living quarters situated within the school compound.
  • There was tension at the school on Tuesday mid-morning as police officers visited the scene to pick her body.
  • Police boss Kinyua pleaded with locals to seek better ways of solving their issues instead of committing suicide.

A matron at Mumbi Girls High School in Murang’a County has been found dead in a case of suspected suicide.

Murang'a County Police Commander Josephat Kinyua told the Nation that the matron's body was discovered Tuesday morning in her house in the living quarters situated within the school compound.

He said they have launched investigations to establish the cause of death of the 56-yaer-old woman.

"The principal of the school informed the police that they have discovered the body of the school matron identified as Joyce Mwinzi and we have sent officers to the school to collect the body and to start investigations," Mr Kinyua said.

The body was found hanging in her sitting room on Tuesday morning by the school's groundsman and a librarian after her husband called them asking about her whereabouts.

According to the school’s principal, Esther Njeri Wambugu, the matron did not report to work on Monday as it was her off day and was supposed to visit her husband in Gatanga Sub-County.

HUSBAND'S CALLS

When she failed to show up at their home, her husband called the school's workers who decided to check on her, only to find her body dangling in the sitting room.

Ms Wambugu said the matron had worked at the school for 33 years and that she never showed any signs of depression or related illness.

“She has worked in the school for 33 years in different departments and had been giving wise counsel to the girls. I last saw her on Saturday during the school's prize giving ceremony and she looked jovial and even completed her work as assigned,” the worried principal said.

She added that the matron attended students on Sunday night at 10pm who complained of stomach ache, saying that was her last encounter with the students.

The matron's husband also worked as a cook at the school but retired at the beginning of this year.

The county police boss lamented over the increased cases of suicides in Murang'a and pleaded with locals to seek better ways of solving their issues instead of committing suicide.

There was tension at the school on Tuesday mid-morning as police officers visited the scene to pick her body.