A teacher in Kilifi South Sub-County has been arrested following the death of a 15-year-old girl who succumbed to head injuries.
The minor, a Grade Eight at Gongoni Primary school, died on September 25, 2025, while undergoing treatment at the Kilifi County Referral Hospital.
Kilifi South Sub-County Police Commander Hassan Kochalle confirmed that the person of interest is being held in Mtwapa police station pending custodial orders.
“We are treating this matter as a serious assault case leading to the death of a minor. The suspect will remain in custody as the investigation continues,” he said.
Kochalle stated that the teacher will remain in custody for several days as police continue collecting additional witness statements, including from other pupils who are said to have been punished on the same day.
This comes amid growing cases of clashes between teachers and learners in the country, with corporal punishment among the issues that the authorities have raised alarm over.
What transpired
According to the preliminary police report, the incident happened on Friday, September 19, 2025, during the last lesson before games.
The person of interest, a teacher at Gongoni Primary School, is said to have administered corporal punishment to several learners, including the deceased.
“The teacher ordered the pupils to kneel before caning some and striking others on the head, a practice referred to as nutting,” police said.
It is after the punishment that the deceased is said to have begun to experience persistent headaches, which worsen over the weekend, forcing her father, on September 21, 2025, to rush he to Vipingo Health Center, but she was later referred to Kilifi County Referral Hospital, where she was admitted.
“She remained under treatment until September 25, 2025, when she died while undergoing treatment at the Intensive Care Unit (ICU),” police stated.
Also watch: A grade five pupil died after being punished by teachers.
Postmortem report
A postmortem conducted at the County Referral Hospital by a government pathologist Gideon Odhiambo, confirmed that the minor died from a head injury caused by blunt force trauma, consistent with assaults.
“A left parietal hemorrhage of about 50ml and cerebral swelling, even though no skull fracture was detected. A CT scan had earlier confirmed bleeding in the brain,” the postmortem report read.
On October 1, 2025 Directorate of Criminal Investigation (DCI) summoned the teacher, who presented himself and was booked into police custody.
