A family in Shinyalu, Kakamega County, is grieving the unexpected loss of their son, a Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) candidate, who died at home due to the family’s lack of funds for his treatment.

The student, Eugene Makale, reportedly passed away after his condition worsened from what began as a sore throat.

“When evening came, I noticed he was feeling unwell and complaining of throat pain. Even eating was difficult for him,” said the deceased’s father.

According to the family, the government’s choice to eliminate the EduAfya medical scheme for students nationwide affected their son’s chances of survival.

The family stated that they lacked the funds needed to properly treat their son, which led them to rely on over-the-counter medications from a nearby pharmacy.

They mentioned that their efforts to alleviate Eugene Makale’s pain were unsuccessful.

“His fever got worse. We tried to treat him with the over-the-counter drugs we had bought, but when we finally got him to the hospital, he passed away,” the father said.

Meanwhile, teachers at St. Joseph Mukulusu, where Makale was taking his exams, said that the cancellation of the EduAfya Insurance has significantly impacted students, particularly those from low-income families.

They shared that Makale had been voicing concerns about his health during the exam period. Initially, they hoped he would improve, but his condition took a turn for the worse.

“On Monday, he complained of a sore throat and felt very weak until he passed away,” a teacher from the school told the media.

His classmates noted that Makale had been struggling with weakness throughout the first week of exams and had difficulty eating due to his illness.

“He wasn’t eating because he was complaining of a sore throat, and we tried to encourage him to eat something to help him get by,” a fellow student shared.

The students also pointed out that their local health facility was consistently short on medications, which made it difficult for Makale’s family to access the medical care that could have saved him.

“Our local hospital, Shamakhubu, is where we turn to for emergencies, but the problem is that they don’t have any drugs,” another student explained.

Makale’s death marks the third incident of a student passing away during this year’s KCSE examinations within a week.