Report cites poison in body of Bomet principal found dead in river
Mr Isaac wafula Bukhebi, 47, school principal at Bosto Mixed Secondary School in Bomet county who went missing early last week, and his body was found at River Nzoia, Bungoma County. A post-mortem report showed traces of poison in his body.
What you need to know:
- The principal went missing on September 13
- His body was discovered by sand harvesters on the banks of River Nzoia in Brigadier, Bungoma County on Friday, September 16
- It had visible injuries on his head, ribs and face
The body of a Bomet High School principal found in the River Nzoia in Bungoma County last Friday after he went missing had traces of poison, a preliminary police report says.
The report followed investigations and a postmortem conducted at the Kitale County and Referral Hospital mortuary.
Mr Isaac Wafula Bukhebi, 47, the principal of Bosto Mixed Secondary School in Bomet and formerly principal of Mainek Toro Secondary School in Kiminini constituency, Trans Nzoia County, went missing on September 13 at around 8.30pm.
Police reports said Mr Bukhebi had told his wife that he was going to purchase airtime at the Makhele market in Kapkoi village. It was the last time he was seen alive.
His friends and fellow teachers posted on social media that he was missing and that they were searching for him.
His body was discovered and retrieved from the River Nzoia last Friday afternoon.
Mr Bukhebi had an evening meal before telling his wife that he was going to purchase airtime for his mobile phones, said Trans Nzoia County Police Commander Jecinta Wesonga on Monday
"If he went to purchase airtime, why did he leave the phones behind? Why did he delete messages before switching off the phones? The next thing, he was found in the river," Mrs Wesonga said.
A police report said his wife, Lilian Khasua, filed a missing-person report, detailing that Mr Bukhibi left home on September 13 at around 8.40pm but he did not return home.
He had switched off all his phones and left them behind.
On Friday, September 16, at around 7am, his body was discovered by sand harvesters on the banks of River Nzoia in Brigadier, Bungoma County, with visible injuries on his head, ribs and face.
Postmortem
They alerted Brigadier police, who transferred the body to the Kitale County Referral Hospital mortuary for a postmortem.
The procedure was conducted in the presence of family members, the Trans Nzoia teachers’ association and Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (Kuppet) members and officials. It was established that the cause of death was poisoning.
"The presence of food poison clearly points to the fact that the deceased could have been poisoned or poisoned himself. The marks on his body could also be as a result of hitting himself on stones in the river," Kiminini sub-county police boss John Onditi said previously.
Waitaluk Ward Rep-elect Lusweti Furaha, the Trans Nzoia County Kuppet chairman, condoled with the family and friends of the late principal, saying the teaching fraternity had lost a distinguished leader.
Mr Bukhebi was deputy principal at Friends Bwake Boys High School in Cherangany before being promoted to principal of Friends Masaba.
He was then transferred to Toro Mainek Secondary School and later to Bosto Mixed in Bomet, where he served until his demise.
Trans Nzoia leaders, led by Governor George Natembeya, expressed shock about the death of the principal.
"This is a very unfortunate incident. I am deeply saddened at the loss, may God rest his soul in eternal peace," Mr Natembeya said.
