A Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) candidate from Kikindu Primary School in Mwea Sub-County, Embu, who went missing on Monday evening, was yesterday found to have died in Thiba River.
The body of Kennedy Macharia was recovered several meters downstream from the point where he had gone to fetch water for domestic use using an Ox–cart, according to area Police Commander Emmanuel Kiplagat.
The deceased pupil who had sat for the first three papers of the National exams had been sent to draw water from the river by his mother at around 5pm, but never returned prompting his mother to go to the river to find out what had become of him.
The mother, to her surprise, found his shoes and the cart abandoned beside the river.
A search was mounted that led to the discovery of the body close to 20 hours later.
The police boss said they could not rule out drowning or murder given the abandoned shoes.
He said investigations have been launched to ascertain the circumstances under which the minor died.
“According to the information we have, this was not the first time the boy was coming to fetch water in the river and we want to find out under what circumstances he perished,” he said.
A somber mood engulfed his school as his desk remained empty as the examinations entered day two yesterday.
His body was moved to Embu Level Five Hospital mortuary as investigations proceed.
By Samuel Waititu
