A family in Thika, Kiambu County, is seeking justice after the mysterious death of their 8-year-old son, a pupil at Pebbles Academy. The family of Patrick Bahati alleges that the school forced him to participate in a cross-country event, despite explicit instructions from his mother to exempt him from the activity.
According to teachers at the school, the boy collapsed near the end of the 4km walk and was rushed to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead upon arrival.
Citizen TV visited the family and friends of the late Bahati as they gathered at his home in Flame Tree Estate, Makongeni, mourning his sudden and tragic death.
What started as a routine school day for the PP2 pupil ended in heartbreak, with a devastating call to his family informing them that their son had passed away. Bahati’s mother has accused Pebbles Academy of not being transparent about the circumstances surrounding her son’s death.
“We are still waiting to hear from the school because I still haven’t heard anything that can make me feel settled on the explanation of what exactly happened to my son. Everyone I spoke to told me a different thing,” said Ann Wawira.
“The school called Patrick’s mum and told her Patrick had participated in the cross-country event and he became unconscious along the way. The school is trying to cover up their tracks, they are not being empathetic, and they are causing more pain to the family,” added Nduta Muniu, a family friend.
Wawira, who was out of town on a business trip at the time of the tragedy, says her son made a distressing phone call minutes before the games began, pleading with her to tell the school that he didn’t want to take part.
The grieving mother, however, says that despite clearly telling the school that her son shouldn’t participate in the games, the school defied her wishes and forced her son to do the 4km walk, which in the end proved too much for him to bear.
“The principal is telling me this child sat down and told them he was feeling tired, so I haven’t gotten any good statement that I can even tell somebody that this is what happened to my child. Patrick was the second born; the first one is Mureithi, and Patrick is deceased now. My son was a very jovial person, a very obedient boy,” she noted.
Zipporah Kanario, another family friend, added: “Mtoto alipotolewa kwa gari nilikuwa hapo na kwa hakika tulipokea mtoto tukamwingiza ndani lakini according to my observation, alikuwa anatoa povu kwa mdomo na hakuwa na pulse kwa mkono. Huyo mtoto alikuwa ame-pass.”
