Kakamega High in mourning as student collapses, dies during football match

Parents and the community have been urged to remain calm following the sudden death of a Form Three student at Kakamega High School on Sunday afternoon.

David Owino Oduor collapsed moments after scoring a goal with a header during a casual football match at the school grounds.

The school administration rushed him to Kakamega County Government Teaching and Referral Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

According to the school's Chief Principal, Dr.Julius Mambil, the incident occurred around 2:14 p.m. and left students and teachers in deep shock.

“It was a normal afternoon game. He scored, then collapsed. It was sudden. There were no signs of illness prior to this. He is the class striker in the football team,” said Mambili.

“It wasn’t a competitive match. The students were just enjoying themselves like they always do," the principal said.

He said that the deceased had scored two goals, and he was going to score the third one when he jumped up and fell down.

The school has initiated counselling sessions and morning reflection periods to support affected learners.

“We’re managing the emotional impact and guiding students through this difficult time,” the principal added.

The school principal confirmed that the deceased had no known medical issues or conditions prior to the incident.

"There were no warning signs, no health history to suggest this. It just happened suddenly, and it has left us all devastated," said Mambili.

The principal further explained that doctors are still investigating the exact cause of death, as the school awaits a formal medical report.

He added that the death of the student has caused an impact on students, especially his close friends who witnessed the incident and were directly involved in trying to help him.

"They are traumatised. These are boys who lifted him, who took him to the clinic. They saw it all unfold," the principal said.

He said that as part of the school’s support measures, morning hours have been set aside for counselling and reflection.

“Since his death, we have dedicated our morning to prayer. We hold sessions with students to pray, talk, and help them process the loss. We have even postponed the exam to 2.00p.m,” he added.

According to Kakamega Central Sub-County, Vincent Cheruyiot confirmed the incident, stating that the student collapsed while playing a football match after scoring a goal with a header.

"He collapsed, and efforts to resuscitate him were futile, and he was rushed to the hospital before he was pronounced dead," said Cheruyiot.