The world probably seemed at an end for young Clifford Odhiambi when his hopes of moving up with his peers were dashed by his class teacher after the news that he would have to repeat his class due to poor performance was broken to him.
It’s very hard to guess what must have gone on in his ,mind in the moments leading to his having to resort to downing pesticide and taking his life.
The form three student of Luora Secondary School in Homa Bay, Kenya recently committed suicide after he was asked to repeat a class over poor performance.
Family sources said Clifford had wanted to join the armed forces next year after his KCSE examinations. But things didn’t go down well for him after the school’s head of exams department, Ishmael Ngicho and head of languages, Nicholas Aswani, denied him entrance into Form Four.
An heartbroken Odhiambo was said to have left the school in dejected and went home to take pesticides which landed him in the hospital.
He died shortly while undergoing treatment.
According to his father, Jabos Ocholla, Odhiambo left a suicide note revealing that he would rather take his life than repeat classes.
The Director of Homa Bay County Teacher Service Commission (TCS. Diosiana Ahindukha, in a statement, noted that repeating of classes had been banned by the government and said that the two teachers and the principal will be invited for questioning.
‘We will not allow any teacher to violate regulations they were given by the Ministry of Education. Anyone found in violation will face stern punitive measures. There is a team from TSC that will question that two teachers and the principal to decide whether to sack them or reinstate them,’ he added.
