St. Cecilia Girls Deputy Principal Dies in Bungoma Hotel
BUNGOMA — Caleb Wekesa, the Deputy Principal of St. Cecilia Misikhu Girls Secondary School, died of a severe heart attack after collapsing inside a Webuye hotel room early on May 24. An autopsy confirmed the sudden death of the veteran educator and father of four was caused by high blood pressure.
The tragedy occurred shortly after Wekesa attended a school function, sending shockwaves through the local education community and prompting union officials to issue urgent health warnings.
Timeline of the Tragedy
According to a police report filed at Webuye Police Station, Wekesa spent his final hours with an unidentified woman. The pair met at a local entertainment joint at approximately 8:00 p.m. before proceeding to another club.
They checked into the Satellite Hotel in the early morning hours. At around 12:20 a.m., Wekesa began experiencing severe medical distress and started foaming at the mouth.
Alerted by the woman, hotel management rushed the teacher to Calvary Hospital in Webuye. He was subsequently transferred to Webuye Sub-County Hospital, where he was pronounced dead less than ten minutes after arrival.
Authorities and Family Respond
Police detained the woman for questioning as part of standard investigative procedures. Wekesa’s father initially expressed shock over the sudden loss, noting his son had no known medical conditions, and called for a comprehensive probe.
Following the autopsy, the deceased’s wife of 20 years confirmed the findings. “I found him with a tag written ‘dead on arrival.’ He has left me with four young children. The report is showing he died of cardiac arrest. I am mourning my husband. Let him rest in peace,” she stated.
KUPPET Urges Mandatory Health Checks
The incident has prompted the Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) to issue a health advisory. For ongoing updates on teacher welfare, visit teacher.co.ke.
Augustine Kundu Luketelo, KUPPET’s Bungoma executive secretary, delivered his condolences while highlighting the silent health struggles facing educators.
“We are very saddened to have lost our teacher,” Luketelo said. “I want to inform teachers, who work a lot, that cancer, diabetes, and pressure are very common. I encourage teachers to undergo tests regularly to manage these conditions.”