Thika: Student dies after disagreement over night prayer
By Sharon Atieno, July 11, 2026A 16-year-old Grade 10 student has died after a disagreement with a classmate over who would lead night prayers at a school in Thika, with police treating the fellow student involved in the incident as a person of interest.
The death has left the family demanding answers from the school, saying they were not informed about the seriousness of the incident until they arrived at the hospital.
Mother recounts receiving the call
The deceased’s mother, Nur Hassan, said she received a phone call from the school’s deputy principal informing her that her son had been involved in a fight with another student.
She said the call ended abruptly, forcing her to call back several times before receiving more information.
“The deputy principal called me and then cut the call. I had to call him four times before he told me my son had fought with a classmate and that they were trying to establish what had happened,” she said.
Hassan said she rushed to the hospital only to find her son’s body lying on a bed in a corner.
“When I arrived, I found my son lying on a bed in the corner. He had not even been covered. I was devastated,” she said.
Family faults school
Family spokesperson Mohamed Aden accused the school of failing to take full responsibility following the student’s death.
“When such a tragedy happens, the teacher who was responsible should come and explain what happened. They should stand with the family and mourn with us instead of remaining silent,” Aden said.
The family is now demanding a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding the student’s death.
Police launch investigations
Thika Sub-County Police Commander John Kimanthi said the student was first taken to a nearby dispensary, where a clinical officer attended to him before recommending an immediate transfer to Thika Level 5 Hospital.
“He was rushed to the dispensary, where the clinical officer attended to him and advised that he be transferred to Thika Level 5 Hospital for specialised treatment,” Kimanthi said.
The police commander confirmed that detectives have opened investigations and that the fellow student involved in the altercation is being treated as a person of interest.
“At this stage, we are treating him as a suspect, and once investigations are complete, he will be presented before court,” Kimanthi said.
Police said investigations are ongoing to establish the full circumstances that led to the fatal confrontation.