Killer KCSE Chemical: Did Xylene Chemical Kill Student in Chemistry Practical

Days after the controversial Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) chemistry paper, a student has died at Barina Mixed Day Secondary School in Nakuru raising concerns as to whether the xylene chemical used in the practicals could be to blame.

The student at Barina Mixed Day Secondary School, Victor Kiptoo, who has died at 18years of age and hailed from Majani Mingi village in Rongai died as he was being rushed to the hospital.

As the cause of the death of the KCSE candidate, Victor Kiptoo, is yet to be established, it cannot be overlooked that the recent chemicals used in a Chemistry practical paper were indeed harmful as one student continues to recuperate in hospital after suffering serious burns.

Kiptoo who was sitting his KCSE exams complained of chest pains and difficulty in breathing when he arrived home on Friday as he is a day scholar according to his father, David Ng’eno, who added that his son took painkillers to calm the pain.

Kiptoo’s condition did not improve after taking the painkillers with the hope of relieving the pain to enable him to continue with the KCSE papers come on Monday, 11^th November 2019.

“When he left for school that morning he was in good health and ready for the exams but when he came back he looked sickly,” Kiptoo’s father noted adding that the health of his son continued to worsen.

“When he woke up on Monday, I noted that his condition was worsening and decided to accompany him to school to monitor his progress,” David Ng’eno revealed adding that upon informing the headteacher of Barina mixed where he son was sitting his exams, he was asked to wait until he finished the day’s paper so he could take him to hospital.

It is after the Monday papers that Ng’eno says he took his son to a nearby dispensary for blood pressure and sugar level tests that had no indication of what could have been ailing his son and he was hence referred to Mogotio Sub-county Hospital.

Kiptoo, according to his father, was treated for tuberculosis and they proceeded home.

David Ng’eno is now pleading with the government to provide his family with a pathologist to establish what killed his son who did not even get a chance to complete the national exams after preparing for years.

Ng’eno termed his son as a hard worker who knew the importance of discipline and was hoping to be a medic.

Kiptoo, the KCSE candidate, had been diagnosed with pneumonia in September and was still taking his medication at the time of his death.

His uncle, Mr. Ibrahim Silatei, acknowledged this but said the family suspected that his death was triggered by the chemicals.

“Even though he appeared healthy, he was still under medication. It is possible that the chemicals he was exposed to at school triggered the condition,” one of Kiptoo’s relatives suggested adding that they knew of a number of students who had complained of headaches since the chemistry paper.

Several KCSE candidates and invigilators have been reported ill following exposure to a suspected deadly chemical that is said to have been used during the chemistry practical exam on Friday the 8^th of November 2019.

Other Medical Complaints Reported as a Result of the Killer KCSE Chemical

A teacher in Kitale’s St. Monica Girls, Ms. Cherusha Nyakeri, had to be rushed to hospital after she developed complications after being exposed to fumes that emanated from heating xylene.

An expectant teacher was admitted to Galilee hospital after developing complications linked to the exposure of the heated xylene in Trans Nzoia while a student from St Peters Kajulu was admitted to Kombewa Hospital after the chemical exploded causing her serious burns.

The Ministry of Education in conjunction with the Kenya National Examination Council (Knec) has been called out for exposing the examiners and candidates to the lethal xylene chemical with unions threating to sue them.