Form Four Boy Gulps Up Acid

Samuel Wambugu, below, the Form 4 boy From Maina Village, Nyahururu, who opted to drink hydrochloric acid to end his life but lived to tell the story.

BY KELVIN WANJOHI
A Form Four student has apologized to the people of Nyahururu in general for trying to commit suicide by swallowing a concentrated acid. His health condition is, however, deteriorating each day and he needs funds urgently, for treatment, his alimentary canal having been corroded by the acid he gulped up while in a practical Chemistry class.

The student, who cannot swallow anything due to pain and the severe contraction of the gullet was admitted at the Nyahururu district hospital as we went to press. He was in the Male Ward, Bed Number 7.
  For the last seven days or so, he has been surviving only on water  fed through a vein in his wrist. It was understood that the special water had to be bought, and that his auntie with who he lives Nyahururu’s Maina slum, was financially constrained to raise the money. He is a student at the public Munyaka Day Secondary School in the village.
  The Kinangop Mission Hospital had admitted him for eight days earlier, feeding him only on the water, before discharging him.
 He had been admitted at the Kinangop Mission Hospital for eight day, feeding on the water only. A medical source said that Samuel Wambugu requires a cardia-thoracic surgery, which can only be done either at The Kenya national and Referral Hospital or the Moi referral Hospital in Eldoret.
  The student’s Principal, John Mwangi, said that the boy had suddenly swallowed the acid as the Chemistry teacher and other students were doing busy with the lesson in the laboratory.
  “After gulping up the acid, be dashed out of the lab before anybody knew what was happening, but collapsed at the school gate. We rushed him to the Nyahururu district hospital where  and was admitted in a critical condition,” said Mr. Mwangi.
   The principal termed the incident as unfortunate, adding that the student could have been suffering from a kind of depression.
  A good Samaritan opened an account at the Co-operative Bank of Kenya Nyahururu branch where well wishers may deposit donations towards the student’s treatment.
  The account is: Samuel Wambugu Medical Fund, Account  01100036212700.
    This is the Samuel’s story as told it to The Home News  earlier this week:
“The pain of rejection triggered it all”. Those were the words that Samuel Wambugu uttered at the beginning of the interview at his aunt’s home in Maina village where he  arrived almost 10 years ago,  after his parents who were staying in Elburgon, Molo district, started to have serious domestic disputes.
  With no money to take him to a good school, owing to his father’s alleged negligence and heavy drinking, Samuel decided to run away from home. He sought refuge at an aunt’s home  in a nearby village.
  His mother came to learn about his disappearance later and mounted a search only to find him at her sister’s home who was also unable to raise his school fees, let alone feed him.
  “This made me seek help elsewhere, and with faith, I moved to my aunt’s place here, who took me in with a lot of love and understanding. She enrolled me in Maina primary school where I had to repeat Class Six as I had no documents to prove that indeed I had reached the level. I managed to reach Class Eight and score 251 marks in the KCPE examination and joined Form One at Munyaka secondary school in  2007.
  “My aunt struggled to raise my school fees. I supplemented it by roasting and selling maize in the village. When I reached Form Two, we were hardly able to raise the school fees and I was constantly sent home.
  “When KCSE registration period came, we had no money. My aunt is a casual labourer and I could understand the situation. However, I was heavily depressed and started experiencing unending stomach pains which saw me frequent different hospitals for treatment in vain.
  “One recent Thursday morning,, which I wish time will erase from my memory, I left for school while Auntie left for the shamba.
  “Dazed by stress and an acute feeling of despair, I felt that I had no use in this world and, during a Chemistry lesson, knowingly and on my own accord, took the acid which I hoped would end my earthly troubles.
   “But I want to live, and never again will I attempt to take my own life. I apologize to Auntie and her loving family, to my teachers, schoolmates and all friends.
  “I appeal to them to help me regain my health. I am suffering. I don’t want to die, please! I want to sit for the KCSE exam this year and continue living. Please!.”