Five KCPE Candidates from Arap Moi Primary School Die in Uasin Gishu Boat Accident

Uasin Gishu County, Kenya—A tragic accident unfolded during a team-building school trip for candidates of the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) on Saturday evening.

According to Kenya News Agency, five pupils from Arap Moi Primary School in Uasin Gishu County lost their lives after drowning in an overflow dam in Ainabkoi Sub County, some 40 kilometers from Eldoret town.

The deceased, part of a group of 183 candidates and grade six pupils from the school, were on an excursion at an Amazement Park when the incident happened. The pupils who lost their lives were identified as Abel Kipkemboi, Caleb Kipkurui, Godwin Kiprono, Anthony Kiptoo, and Evans Kiplimo. Their bodies were taken to Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH). Another grade six pupil, Gideon Kigen, was rescued and is currently receiving treatment at MTRH.

Alice Chepchumba, sister to one of the deceased, Abel Kipkemboi, noted that her brother had been a top-performing pupil and had aspirations to join Starehe Boys after successfully completing the KCPE. “My brother had told us that he will not let us down and that he will work hard in the national examination and join Stare Boys, which he said was his first choice,” Chepchumba stated. According to her, it was an annual practice for the school to take class eight candidates to the dam before their national examinations; however, this was the first time a tragedy of this magnitude had occurred.

Candidates were set to take turns on a boat ride in the man-made dam before the accident, leading to an outpouring of grief throughout Olare village. Police Commander Mwanthi confirmed that an investigation into the incident has been initiated and that the site has been cordoned off pending the conclusion of the inquiry.

Area MCA Gilbert Chepkonga criticized the incident, attributing it to negligence on the part of the teachers accompanying the pupils. “There was nobody to ensure the safety of pupils at the dam since there was no instructor, and to make matters worse, the tutors were having lunch just a few meters away from the scene of the incident,” said Chepkonga.

Uasin Gishu County Director of Education (CDE) John Thiringi described the event as unfortunate and one that disrupted the plans of candidates set to sit for their exams on Monday. The school’s headteacher, Liza Kirui, has been admitted to MTRH after fainting upon hearing the news. In her absence, a senior teacher will temporarily act in her role as she recuperates.