A family is in distress after their son, a Form Four student at Kianyaga Boys High School went missing.
Vincent Waruhiu who was set to sit for his Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examinations this month was last seen on Sunday, February 27 in the dormitory.
Speaking exclusively to Kahawa Tungu, the student’s father, Waweru Waruhiu, said he received a call from the deputy principal notifying him that he (Vincent) was missing.
The unusual call came at around 9.22 pm on Sunday, Mr Waruhiu told this writer.
One of the deputy principals, Mr Ng’ang’a delivered the bad news. He told the already distressed parent that his son though missing was safe.
“After the call I went searching for my son in the farm. It was in the dead of the night. I could not sleep without knowing the whereabouts of my son,” said Mr Waruhiu.
On Monday morning, the distraught parent who did not sleep a wink the previous night, embarked on a trip to the Kirinyaga County based institution. He was accompanied by a family friend.
They arrived at the school at around 10 am. The school principal, D.M Kariuki, was not around but they were received by his deputy.
During their meeting, a close friend of Vincent’s was asked queried about his whereabouts. The student told Mr Waruhiu, the friend, deputy principal and another teacher that he last laid his eyes on him on Sunday morning.
Vincent was still in bed and was not seen for the rest of the day.
The student also told the present parties that Vincent was wary of six students and his class teacher, Julius Mugo, who had apparently fed him some substance that saw him get sick for a day.
“Vincent had been fed a cake laced with an unknown substance. He had a stomachache for a day. The cake had come from six boys and his class teacher,” Mr Waruhiu added.
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It is important to note that when the parent called Mr Mugo on the fateful night, he said he was unaware of the goings-on and promised to call back with more information. He is yet to call back, four days later.
After the meeting, Mr Waruhiu’s next stop was at the Kianyaga Police Station which we understand is about 200 metres from the school.
There, he recorded a statement but the matter was not entered in the occurrence book.
A police officer at the station called the school principal who sent his deputy and a teacher. They are said to have received a tongue lashing.
The officer promised Mr Waruhiu that the matter was under investigation.
Mr Waruhiu intimated to this writer that in November last year, Vincent called his mother, Ann Mumbi, asking her to keep him in her prayers. Without disclosing too much information, the student said he was going through something at school.
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“We did not go to the school because they were about to close school for the December holidays and we did not want to blow things out of proportion,” added the father.
When he got home, Vincent, told the parents that a group of six students and Mr Mugo were dealing drugs within the compound. They were apparently trying to drag him into their circle but he declined hence the drugging incident.
Vincent, we understand, wrote to the principal asking to move classes. He did not mention the drugging incident, instead he told the school head that he was preforming poorly and needed to make a change.
Even after moving to another class, the boys and teacher kept tabs on him.
“After the drugging incident, the boys attempted to lace his water with an unknown substance but he did not take the water,” the father said.
Mr Waruhiu who noted that his son is a bright and trustworthy child, told Kahawa Tungu that two weeks ago, Mr Mugo called informing him that Vincent needed pocket money.
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He asked that they send him Sh400 via M-Pesa.
“I found it weird that my son was asking for money. Whenever he is in deed of money, he calls when near an M-Pesa shop, mostly on his way home from school,” Mr Waruhiu said.
On Tuesday, the father went back to the police station because he could not be allowed into the school premises due to the ongoing KCSE exams. He was accompanied by a friend and his sister.
His friend, he told us, smelled something fishy in the manner in which the matter was being handled.
Asked whether his son could have run away over the examinations, Mr Waruhiu quickly pointed out that he (Vincent) is smart.
Mr Waruhiu also told this writer that he is aware that all of Vincent’s belongings are intact.
Vincent’s parents believe their son was drugged and later taken out of the school in a motor vehicle. They hope to find him alive.
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