A Form Four student has died after sitting his Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education Mathematics paper from a hospital bed, bringing deep grief to his school community in Uasin Gishu County and raising the total number of KCSE 2026 candidate deaths to three.
Cornelius Kiplagat Rotich, a student at ACK Kaptebee Senior School in Turbo Sub County, passed away on Tuesday, November 3, at Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital, where he had been receiving specialised medical care.
A Student Who Sat His Exam Despite Being Ill
Kiplagat had been unwell for some time before the examinations began and was admitted to hospital rather than sitting his papers alongside his classmates.
He completed the Mathematics exam from his ward that morning, but his condition took a sharp turn for the worse shortly afterwards. Medical staff could not save him.
A family source said the teenager, affectionately known as “Kiplaa” by those close to him, had lived with diabetes since he was four years old and had been on medication his entire life.
ACK Kaptebee Senior School principal Mr Josiah Korir described the loss as deeply painful.
”We are devastated. We have lost a humble, hardworking and focused student,” he said.
He also confirmed that the school had moved swiftly to support the student body in the wake of the tragedy.
”As the school community, we have organised a counselling session to help our students cope with this unfortunate loss,” he added.
Mr Korir made those remarks hours after travelling with school Board of Management members and Ministry of Education officials to offer their condolences to the bereaved family.
The family is currently making funeral arrangements at the family home in Kaptebee.
