Kenyan journalist Gregory Murithi of Royal Media Services’ Citizen TV painfully recounted an agonizing moment when he was called to report on the death of a young grade 7 pupil, only to discover that the boy was his nephew.

In a social media post, Gregory shared the ordeal that led him to discover his nephew, Evans fondly known as Tiffa, had succumbed. Allegedly, his brother heard about a child falling into a water tank at a nearby school, prompting him to call Gregory.

“Bro, I hear there is a child who has fallen in the water tank in Rwanyange. Come and get the news,” he recalled of his conversation with his brother who called him back two minutes later.

“‘Bro, I see Tiffa’s uniform and his glasses under the tank’. He breathed hard and hung up the call,” Muriithi narrated.

The journalist from Meru County was stunned to learn about the tragic death of a loved one he was very close to. The boy is said to have slipped and drowned in a massive 2-million-litre school water tank while fetching water for his classmates.

The water was for cleaning the classroom, not for drinking. When Tiffa fell into the tank, other pupils called for help, but their pleas fell on deaf ears, and the boy drowned to a painful death.

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“Instead of repairing the water fetching outlet, the school decided to send pupils inside the tank to fetch water manually. One student would take off clothes and be left with sports shorts, then get inside the completely sealed tank via the small opening,” Muriithi wrote.

An hour later, the fire and rescue team arrived at the school and helped retrieve the body from the water tank.

“You left home yesterday morning so happy and jovial as usual to school to gain education and chase poverty. But right now it’s so paining that I went to see kama umehifadhiwa vizuri in a mortuary fridge.”

Netizens offered their condolences at the comments section, and many called for disciplinary action against the school. Here are some of their comments:

Lynn Kendi: This school needs to be closed..all teachers and caretakers should be fired and face the law…how could they allow kids in such a deep tank? 

Nicholas Kivite: My sincere condolences bro. I feel your pain…The school administration should be held accountable

Josephine Kawira: Pole sana Ndugu and the entire family. A very determined soul indeed. May God give his soul eternal peace and justice he deserves