Family Mourns Loss of Grade Five Pupil
The family of Shawn Victor Were, a Grade Five pupil at Red Hill Baraka School in Gachie, is demanding answers after his untimely death at school. The young boy, son of Irene Karimi and Moses Ochieng, left for school as usual on February 21, 2025, but never returned home alive.
According to reports, Shawn fell ill at school in the afternoon and began speaking incoherently. His mother was called to pick him up, and upon arrival, she found him lying on a mattress, surrounded by teachers, but no clear explanation was given regarding his condition.
Attempts to Save Shawn Were Unsuccessful
Concerned about her son’s deteriorating state, Shawn’s mother, father, and a neighbor rushed him to Life-Care Hospital in Kikuyu. Doctors attempted to resuscitate him, but the initial oxygen equipment was faulty. Despite their best efforts, Shawn could not be saved. During resuscitation, he vomited undigested food—rice and watermelon—leading to the discovery that he had been fed at school while experiencing convulsions.
Upon questioning, teachers initially denied giving him food. However, later, one teacher admitted to feeding Shawn watermelon, attempting to “revive” him. This revelation left the family devastated, as medical experts confirmed that the act of feeding him during convulsions caused him to choke, blocking his airway.
Mysterious Circumstances Surrounding His Death
Further investigations revealed that the events leading to Shawn’s convulsions were unclear. His twin sister, Vicky, who was also in the same class, disclosed that Shawn was not supposed to participate in a swimming lesson. Instead, he and a few other students remained in the classroom.
Shawn had reportedly been assigned to monitor noisy students, but when he returned to find the class in chaos, he and six other students were punished by a teacher. Despite Shawn pleading his innocence, the teacher allegedly forced him to run cross-country as punishment.
During the run, Shawn collapsed and started convulsing. Other children later informed Vicky that he had been left behind, foaming at the mouth. When teachers arrived, they carried him back to the school instead of immediately seeking medical assistance.
Post-Mortem Confirms Choking as Cause of Death
On February 25, 2025, a post-mortem examination was conducted, with both the school and family presenting their pathologists. The findings confirmed that Shawn had choked on the rice and watermelon he was fed during convulsions, leading to aspiration pneumonia. His lungs contained food particles and signs of internal bleeding.
His grieving family is demanding answers and accountability from the school. “Why was Shawn punished when he pleaded his innocence? Why was food given to a child in medical distress? Why was no immediate first aid provided?” questioned his aunt, Tsheri Mwongera.
Call for Justice and Better School Safety Measures
The family is urging the Ministry of Education to enforce strict guidelines on how schools handle medical emergencies. They are calling for schools to employ trained personnel capable of administering first aid to prevent such tragedies.
In the wake of their son’s death, Shawn’s parents allege that the school management was indifferent to their pain. Ironically, the same vehicle that was unavailable to transport Shawn to the hospital was later used to take teachers to the medical facility.
While the family mourns the loss of their beloved son, they continue to seek justice and accountability to ensure no other child suffers a similar fate.