School where girl committed suicide after ridicule over menses ‘had 77 packets of pads’
Fresh details have emerged on last moments of the Bomet girl who took her life after she was allegedly scorned by her teacher over menses mess.
In a preliminary report by the Teachers Service Commission (TSC), it has been revealed that Jackline Chepngeno suffered shame in school, which drove her to commit suicide, yet there were plenty of sanitary pads in the deputy headteacher’s office and at her home.
42-PAGE REPORT
On September 6, the day she hanged herself, there were 77 packets of sanitary pads in the store of Kabiangek Primary School in Konoin, Bomet.
“The school had received its full consignment of sanitary towels for second term,” the report signed by TSC CEO Nancy Macharia reads in part.
At home, Jackline had left one packet in her box, according to the 42-page report presented to National Assembly Committee on Education on Thursday.
“The (investigation) team visited her home and confirmed that she has used of the two packets of sanitary towels give to her by the school on 30th July 2019,” Ms Macharia says in the report.
The pupil was among the 50 eligible girls who had been receiving their supply of sanitary pads from their school in July. Each of them were issued with two packets for use during the month of August and September.
JACKLINE’S MOTHER
Jackline’s mother, Beatrice Kirui, confirmed to the investigation team led by Bomet County director of Education that the girl had one packet of unused pads.
“The girl told me that she had been sent home by teacher Jennifer (Chemutai) for staining her clothes but she had left pads at home,” she said in her statement.
Ms Kirui’s statement, however, contradicts the statement recorded by the teacher, who was Jackline’s class teacher and taught her English.
In her statement, Ms Chemutai said she neither ridiculed nor sent the pupil home while the investigators alleged she talked to the girl “politely”.
She claims after realising that the pupil had stained her uniform, she informed her “it was normal” and left for the staff-room to bring pads.