By Mary Mwendwa
Like any other ambitious girl, Pauline Apiyo Ouma might have had a great dream. It is the reason despite coming from humble family, she worked smart to attract a sponsor of her education. Sadly, Pauline is no more.
Her parents strongly believe, the 14 years old girl in class eight died due to negligence and mistreatment by authority of her Nangina Girls Primary Boarding School in Busia County.
Pauline comes from a nearby village of Siwongo.
“I wish the school authority called and informed us that our child was sick and was unable to cater for her treatment. Perhaps, we could have saved her life,” a teary Peris Ouma, Pauline’s mother recounts.
Peris shares Pauline returned home in early March for mid-term holiday and left jovial and full of life.
However, the mother remembers events that led to her daughter’s death: “One evening l was seated outside my house when Pauline’s schoolmate who is a day scholar of passed and informed me, Pauline, is unwell. The pupil did not give further details because it was a secret and if the school knew it would punish her.”
That evening, a worried Peris called and inquired from her class teacher about her sickness. The class teacher confirmed Pauline was diagnosed and treated of Malaria. That, she was responding well. The teacher’s assurance calmed Peris.
The good news that Pauline was well did not last long. The following day Vitalis Ouma, Pauline’s father received a call from a stranger who first inquired if he was Pauline’s father. “I replied l was Pauline’s father. Come to school very quickly and pick Pauline. She’s very sick,” he says.
Ouma was at a faraway church function. He called his wife and told her to rush to school to check on their daughter. Peris rushed to the school, about 5 km away. At the gate, Peris was welcomed by a group of over 20 worried pupils: “Mama Pauline kimbia, Pauline anakufa, (Pauline’s mother please run, Pauline is dying)” The pupils’ words send chills down Peris’ spine.
“I joined the pupils and raced towards the dormitory. l entered and found Pauline lying on stomach in a pool of blood. Blood was also oozing from her nose, ears, and mouth.
I tried talking to Pauline and wake her but she was helpless. She only pointed at her chest, indicating it was painful. She looked too weak,” she says.
At that moment there was no teacher or Matron within school premises. As she pondered what to do, school watchman, Jared Kucha arrived and told her to rush her child to the hospital.
Peris quickly lifted Pauline but she was heavy for her. Fellow pupils assisted carry her to the gate. Since they were moving at slow pace, Peris called a motorcycle that took Pauline to Holy Family Mission Hospital, Nangina which are all under Catholic Church.The hospital is next to the school.
An emotional mother narrated: “During admission at 5 pm, doctors were inquiring if Pauline had been involved in a road accident because of the blood she was vomiting. I told them had picked her from school while oozing blood. They started treatment put her on a drip, but died at 6.45 pm.”
The deceased father wonders why the school management did not call to inform them on their child’s sickness.
Ouma asks: “My daughter has studied in this school since class One. Why did the administration, especially the matron ignore her case that led to her death?” Peris remembers how one of her daughter’s friend explained every time she went to pick Pauline food and was chased away.
“A close friend to Pauline told me that when Pauline became very sick she could not walk and therefore she spent most of her time sleeping in the dormitory. She used to request for porridge or any form of food but I was chased away by the cooks every time I went to collect for her.”
Post – Mortem results which were conducted by Dr. Hillary Kiplagat , Pathologist from Busia County Hospital requested by Funyula Police Station, where the case was reported revealed Pauline’s death was as a result of lung infection and negligence.
Dr. Kiplagat confirmed, “My investigation found that her lungs had changed color and had nodules,” Something he says, indicated that there was no proper care when the pupil fell sick.
Further heart – rending turn of events which parents say makes them more traumatized is when the school administration which was led by Sister, Anna Onyancha, Headmistress of the school visited them.
“The team came to visit us at home and the headmistress told us that pupils die in the school, Pauline was not the first case, she promised to come back and support with funeral arrangements but we never saw them even during the burial. Pupils were also barred from attending their colleague’s funeral. “ She emotionally narrates.
On meeting Funyula Police Station , officer Commanding Station (OCS ) Richard Yego about the case. He confirmed the case was reported at his station on 12 Th April 2017 and they had recorded a statement waiting to summon other parties involved to help investigate the cause of the death.
He also acknowledged about receiving the Post – mortem report which he said had been locked by one of the officers who was not at the station at our time of visit. He said he was not authorized to speak to the media and referred us to his boss, Mary Kiarie OCPD Samia.
On contacting Kiarie, she said she was not up to date with the case but was going to investigate and get back. She has not picked our calls ever since.
We went to the school, Nangina Girls Boarding Primary School to verify the claims but we found only the watchman and few teachers who we asked about the headmistress and told us she was not around.
Efforts to reach Anna Onyancha, the headmistress bore no fruit and next time we went to the school the gate was closed and watchman never allowed us inside.
After a couple of weeks, we called her again, this time she responded saying, “This is an institution and any matter pertaining to it cannot be handled on the phone.”
At the Holy Mission Nangina Hospital, the hospital Administrator, who even refused to give his name after frantic efforts to get a meeting with him led us to hit a dead wall. In his brief response, he said, “ You are not allowed to access any information in this facility, Nimemalizana na nyinyi, I am done with you .” He stood up and walked out busy on phone.
The harsh reality of how pupils of Nangina school are mistreated, beaten and neglected to leaving some dead hit us. There were claims of many other pupils who have died in similar circumstances of Pauline, which left us with many questions than answers.
Pauline’s mother recounted of how her daughter used to tell her about the beating chamber. She could narrate to me the harrowing tales of how pupils were randomly beaten in the chamber and said that was a normal occurrence in the school.”
“That school has very strict rules that leave many parents scared to question anything. Mostly poor parents like me whose children are on sponsorship. The matron and Headmistress are so corrupt, even the teachers could demand money before they show you results of pupils.”
Pauline’s mothers says that she believes her daughter was neglected because she was not among the parents who go and give the matron and headmistress gifts in form of money and other things.” I am poor and therefore my child was taken for granted.”
The deceased parents say they were met by a harsh reception at the District Education office where the District Education Officer, Joshua Ong’ola chased the mother when she went to report about her daughter’s case. She further revealed the assistant chief was used by the school to drop her child’s belongings which she says were not what she had bought for her daughter.” She just dropped the box at the gate and left.”
We called Ong’ola to clarify the reason he had chased the parents who sort for help from his office, “I did not chase the parents away, I received a report about the pupil’s death and later send my quality assurance officer who confirmed the pupil was sick and later died.” He said on phone.
Other revelations from a former pupil at the school indicate that the school has a history if corporal punishment and negligence especially to pupils who fall sick and who come from poor backgrounds. Those from parents who part with presents to the matron and headmistress are treated well and even don’t go through the chamber beating.
Vivian Wandera, a current university student from Mariana village in Busia County, vividly recalls her short time at the school and how badly they were treated and beaten. Ann Onyancha was the headmistress of the school by then and she still heads the school up to now.
“I schooled at Nangina between 2004 and 2005, I must say what I experienced there was nasty, I had to transfer to another school. I recall very well pupils who got lower marks being beaten in the chamber and those who fell sick were abused verbally and neglected.”
Vivian says the many times she used to get sick in the school and report about her sickness she was met by harsh teachers who could chase her saying she was pretending.
She recalls how the school had no cleaners.” We used to do all the cleaning of the school and also gardening. The school employed only cooks, something I hear still happens up to now.”
Corporal punishment has been outlawed by the Teachers Service Commission under TSC Act, 2012, Basic Education Act and code of Conduct and Ethics (2015 ) warns teachers on corporal punishment. It states, “That under no circumstances should corporal punishment, or any use of physical force to inflict pain, be administered to learners. All teachers are cautioned that corporal punishment or any other degrading treatment constitutes a professional and /or criminal offense and can lead to disciplinary action and/prosecution in a court of law.”
Our investigations revealed Nangina Girls Boarding school has ignored this circular from TSC and subjecting pupils to corporal punishment and other forms of negligence which at times lead to death.
