Murang'a University [photo/kenyalife.info]
A somber mood engulfed Murang'a University of Technology after a third year student took rat poison and died while undergoing treatment at Murang'a County Referral Hospital.
The student who was undertaking a Software Engineering course allegedly took the drastic action after he was left by his girlfriend who is a second year student studying Mathematics and Economics course at the same institution.
Joseph Ngando Mwangi who is a medical officer at the hospital said the deceased Derrick Kiprop Sumbarei was rushed to the facility by his colleagues unconscious and in critical condition at around 10.30 pm on the night of Monday,February 5.
“When he stabilized a bit,we transferred him to the ward and continued with the treatment but at around midnight, his condition worsened. He then started to gasp for breath and resuscitation started immediately but unfortunately, he did not pull through and he succumbed at around 12.40 am”, the medic explained.
Sammy Nyamita who was Sumbarei's friend and among those who rushed the student to hospital, narrated that he was alerted by his girlfriend to go talk to him after he became hysterical minutes after he gulped the poison in her room where he had gone to seek reconciliation.
“I went and found him lying unconscious beside the road outside his girlfriend’s rented apartment. I first rushed him to a nearby clinic for first aid but we were referred to the Murang'a County Referral Hospital," Nyamita said.
The girlfriend disclosed to Nyamita that she had told the deceased that she had some family issues to sort out first and also wanted to concentrate on her studies but he could not withstand her leaving him.
Kimotho confirmed the incident saying the two were in a love conflict and that after he was alerted of the incident, he too rushed to hospital.
“The girlfriend is traumatized and we have informed the University counselor to go counsel her. I am appealing to the students to stop engaging in love affairs that will impact negatively on their lives and studies and instead, they should wait for the opportune time”, the officer said.
He revealed that the deceased hails from the Rift Valley while the girlfriend is from the Coast province.