The family of a 20-year-old Kenya Methodist University (KeMU) student have asked police to investigate his death after disputing the school’s narrative.
Evantors Toikoet was found dead on Saturday, October 26, 2019, after a night of partying at one of colleague’s house.
According to KeMU Vice-Chancellor Morris Okoth, Toikoet died after jumping over a gate, a claim the family has disputed.
Toikoet, who hails from Marigat in Baringo County, is said the have been in a jovial mood as they practiced for inter-university badminton games which were to be held on day he died.
“All was well with Toikoet as they practiced the whole of Thursday, but later we learnt that they decided to hold a pre- party at their captain’s house outside the school premises where they also took some unknown amount of liquor and danced the whole the night,” said Dr OKoth.
KeMU investigations, Dr OKoth said, revealed that the students left the party at about 4am and headed to their respective hostels.
The badminton team was to depart for Karatina University at 6.30am, just two-and-half hours after the party ended.
Toikoet’s guardian, John Kiptek, said the family was informed of his death via a phone call.
But after two postmortems, the family said their kin’s body had no signs of physical injuries.
“We feel our loved son was murdered and the university is trying to cover-up by claiming that he jumped over a gate of which the postmortem could have revealed. But the two results showed signs of intoxication and cardiac respiratory arrest,” said Toikoet’s uncle, Duncan Kibet.
The family, speaking at Meru Level V Hospital where they had gone to pick the body, claimed that they suspect the young man died of strangulation.
“We have prepared for a third postmortem that will be conducted in Nairobi, and if the results are the same, we will sue the university for murder,” added Kibet.
The family accused the university of not having the students who were at the all-night party questioned.
But KeMU VC said the first postmortem was conducted by a government pathologist who revealed that the student died of head injuries and cardiac respiratory arrest.
“Unless the government results are wrong because they showed injuries, the student fell on a stone and sustained head injuries according to the report given by the landlord. who called the university when they woke up to find him groaning in pain,” said Dr Okoth .
KeMU VC said the student’s landlord found his body oust when they woke up, and immediately informed the university.
The case has put the university on the spot again after two female students were allegedly murdered and found dead in their hostels in May 7 and October 3, this year.
