Lugari: Police in Lugari Sub-county have launched investigations into the death of a school Principal, whose body was discovered on Saturday in River Kipkaren, six days after he allegedly vanished from an accident scene. Simon Isiaho Shange, Munyuki Mixed Secondary School Principal, allegedly went missing in the early hours of Monday, November 3, after his car crashed into a truck at stage Omega near Lumakanda junction, along the Eldoret-Malaba Highway.
According to Kenya News Agency, Lugari Deputy County Commissioner (DCC), Linet Orina and Sub-County Police Commander, Robert Kurgat, witnessed the retrieval of the body and expressed their determination to expedite investigations to uncover the truth. Orina recounted that they received an accident report on Monday, the same day the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examination commenced, but they were initially unaware that the vehicle involved belonged to one of their principals. The revelation led to an immediate search, but efforts to locate the principal were initially unsuccessful.
The search took a grim turn when a report emerged about a body floating on River Kipkaren in the Munyuki area. Orina directed the area Chief and police officers to the scene, where the body was retrieved and confirmed to be that of the missing Principal. She urged the public to remain calm and avoid speculation to allow investigators to carry out their work effectively.
The incident has been met with concern and demands for thorough investigations from various quarters. Kakamega KUPPET Chair, Johnston Wabuti, described the situation as unfair to the teaching fraternity and called on the government to ensure justice is served. Wabuti warned of potential disruptions to the ongoing national examinations if a comprehensive report is not provided.
Kakamega Deputy Governor, Ayubu Savula, echoed these sentiments, emphasizing the need for clarity regarding the events from the accident scene to the discovery of the body. He called for accountability, stating that no one is above the law, and those responsible should be apprehended.
The mysterious circumstances surrounding the principal’s death have left the community with many unanswered questions, as initial reports of an accident have now shifted to a discovery of a body in a river, seven kilometers away from the initial scene.