Boy set to join Form 1 kills self after father ‘urged him to join cheaper school’

A 16-year-old boy from Subukia in Nakuru County committed suicide on Thursday, January 9, for allegedly failing to join the secondary school he was placed at.

Peter Kaberia Mbugua, who was called to Mama Ngina Secondary School in Nakuru, was found hanging from a rope tied to the roof of his parents’ house in Subukia.

The boy’s father said he had earlier Thursday had a conversation with Mbugua, informing him that he [father] was not in a position to pay the school fees charged by Mama Ngina, and, therefore, he would look for an alternative school, where the teenager would pursue his secondary education.

The father told Mbugua, who scored 352 out of 500 KCPE marks, that he was likely to secure a chance at Kieni Secondary School in Nakuru, and would, at 2pm Thursday, visit Kieni to find out whether Mbugua’s calling letter had been processed.

“When the boy’s father returned home in the evening, he found Mbugua’s body hanging from the roof,” Subukia OCPD, Edward Imbwaga, told K24 Digital.

Mbugua did not leave behind a suicide note, but Imbwaga says authorities suspect that failure to join Mama Ngina Secondary School led to his suicidal ideation.

Mbugua’s body was taken to Nyahururu County Referral Hospital mortuary.