Detectives believe Form One student Ebby Noelle Samuel was beaten to death and that the administration at Gatanga CCM Girls High School tried to cover up her murder.
Ebbie, who was just a month into her new school, died on the night of March 8-9 2019.
Investigations into her death have been ongoing since then, with the director of the Homicide division based at DCI headquarters taking over the investigations on January 10 of this year.
The DCI provided an update on the investigations on Wednesday, April 6, 2022, disclosing that gathering information within the school had proved difficult since there was witness interference.
The school had claimed that Ebby fell from her bed the night before her classmates noticed her motionless body.
“In order to establish the actual circumstances that led to Ebby’s death, the detectives sought to record statements from witnesses who include Ebby’s friends and classmates, and on January, 11, a team of seasoned homicide detectives was dispatched for the assignment.
“However, they found the school environment intimidating for the witnesses and opted to take their statements once the schools were closed, during the ongoing holiday. So far, we have recorded several statements all of which contradict the account given by the school administration,” the DCI said.
Detectives established that a senior member of the school’s administration severely assaulted the 15-year-old on claims that her hair had been styled contrary to school regulations.
This happened during the evening preps time, minutes before the 9 pm bedtime bell rang. Ebby retired to bed that night with severe injuries before she was found dead the following morning.
An autopsy established that Ebby died as a result of blunt force trauma, due to head injury.
The detectives are also investigating a conspiracy to defeat justice by the school administration, which gave contradictory statements and has been intimidating students who are willing to give the actual account of what transpired.
“This informed the decision by detectives to visit the children in their homes where they have opened up on what really transpired. Investigations are in advanced stages and it is only a matter of time before the perpetrators of Ebby’s killing are brought to book and held accountable for their actions.
“The Directorate of Criminal Investigations assures all students and witnesses in this matter who are willing to volunteer information that their identity shall remain anonymous,” the DCI said.
Meanwhile, Gatanga CCM Girls High School has since changed its name to St Anuarite Gatanga Girls School which the DCI believe to be an attempt to conceal the murder.
