11-Year-Old Pupil Drowns at Visa Oshwal Primary School
The family of Iilyaas Abdikarim Ali Mohamud, an 11-year-old student at Visa Oshwal Primary School in Parklands, Nairobi, is seeking justice after the young boy drowned under unclear circumstances.
The distressing event unfolded when Abdikarim was reported missing on Tuesday evening as his father arrived to pick him up from school. Shockingly, his lifeless body was discovered the following morning in the school’s swimming pool.
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Both Parklands police and Ministry of Education officials have initiated investigations into the tragic incident. The grieving mother, in an emotional interview with Citizen TV, expressed her inconsolable sorrow upon learning about her son’s untimely death at school.
The family shared that the Grade Two pupil disappeared on Tuesday afternoon, and his father was only made aware around 4 pm when attempting to collect him from school. Despite their efforts to locate him, they were unsuccessful.
When questioning the coach, the father was informed that the swimming class for Grade 2 had been canceled that day, raising concerns about the school’s communication and supervision.
Omar Hussein, a family friend, reported their attempts to locate the child and the subsequent discovery of his body at the swimming pool.
The family is accusing the school administration of negligence, asserting that the tragedy could have been averted if the class teacher had been vigilant enough to notice the prolonged absence of the new student.
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Another point of concern raised by the family is the absence of CCTV cameras in the swimming pool area, despite the school having cameras in other locations.
Despite the family’s outcry, the school administration has yet to address the matter publicly, with meetings between board members and Ministry of Education officials taking place at the institution.
The late Abdikarim’s body has been transferred to Chiromo morgue, where a post-mortem was conducted, confirming drowning as the cause of death. Government Pathologist Dr. Peter Ndegwa suggested the need for circumstantial evidence to determine the manner of death.
Family lawyer Danstan Omari deems the incident a “clear case of negligence” and intends to pursue legal avenues for justice, both criminally and civilly.
Investigations by Parklands police are ongoing, and the late Abdikarim is scheduled to be laid to rest on Thursday at Lang’ata cemetery.
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11-Year-Old Pupil Drowns at Visa Oshwal Primary School