Kendu Bay police station/Robert Omollo
A Form Four student died by suicide after shooting himself with his father's pistol following a disagreement over a mobile phone in Karairo village, Kabondo Kasipul Constituency.
The 17-year-old student shot himself in the head within the Mawego area in the Karachuonyo Constituency.
The teenager, who was the son of a police officer, is reported to have taken his own life after his mother confiscated a mobile phone he had been using.
Rachuonyo North Sub-County Police Commander Peter Walah said the boy waited until his father had gone to take a bath before taking the pistol and leaving the house.
He reportedly walked to the nearby college, climbed over the perimeter wall and entered the compound, where he shot himself.
"His father is a police officer who works in Meru County. He waited for the father to go into the bathroom and sneaked away with the pistol," Walah said.
Speaking to journalists at Kendu Bay Police Station, Walah said preliminary investigations indicate the boy may have taken the action after becoming upset over his mother's decision to confiscate his mobile phone.
According to the police commander, the mother had visited the boy's school and found that her son's academic performance had declined. She then took away the phone in an effort to help him concentrate on his studies.
"His mother went to his school and discovered that her son's performance was declining. She decided to confiscate the mobile phone as a measure aimed at helping him concentrate on his studies," Walah said.
Walah urged parents to pay close attention to their children's well-being and encouraged families to embrace guidance and counselling to help address emotional and psychological challenges.
"Residents need to embrace guidance and counselling. This can help rescue people who are facing problems," he said.
Police said investigations are ongoing to establish the circumstances surrounding why the student went to the polytechnic compound before the incident.
The body was moved to the Rachuonyo South Sub-County Hospital mortuary in Oyugis.
