Moi University student found dead, suicide suspected

The parents of the late Moi University student Japheth Mungai are pictured at Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital mortuary on December 16, 2019. PHOTO | ITUTS OMINDE | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • Japheth Mungai's hands were tied but police believe he committed suicide on Saturday night, Kesses Sub-County Police Commander Harun Muriasi said.
  • His parents have accused the university of not giving the family proper information about the incident and asked police to conduct a thorough probe.
  • His mother, Monica Mungai, said police collected and transported the body to the mortuary in an "extremely questionable" manner.

The body of a Moi University student was on Monday found hanging from the ceiling of a lecture hall at the main campus in Kesses, on the outskirts of Eldoret town, Uasin Gishu County.

Japheth Mungai's hands were tied but police believe he committed suicide on Saturday night, Kesses Sub-County Police Commander Harun Muriasi said.

“We do not have much information. We are treating it as suicide,” Mr Muriasi said, adding that investigations were going on.

The body was taken to Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital mortuary for postmortem examination.

"UNIVERSITY SILENT"

Mungai was a second year microbiology student.

His parents have accused the university of not giving the family proper information about the incident and asked police to conduct a thorough probe.

“We are surprised by the manner in which the university is handling this incident. We got information through other students and social media. The university has remained silent,” said his mother, Monica Mungai.

She also said police collected and transported the body to the mortuary in an "extremely questionable" manner.

“It is painful that the body of my son was taken to the mortuary as 'unidentified' and dumped in a container yet he was a student at the university," she said.

BUS TICKET

Police found a bus ticket beside the body, indicating that the student travelled from his rural home in Laikipia County on December 11.

Mrs Mungai and her husband confirmed that their son went to their rural home in Mohetefu village to collect a fee balance so as to be cleared for the semester's examinations.