A man has passed away after collapsing at Kianyaga Stadium in Kirinyaga County during the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) recruitment exercise.
Police said Francis Kabuga collapsed after finishing the final lap while entering the stadium’s gate.
He received first aid before being taken to the Kianyaga sub-county hospital.
Later, as his condition worsened, he was taken to Kerugoya County Referral Hospital, where he passed on Tuesday, September 5.
“He was running with other recruits before he developed complications and died after being taken to Kerugoya Hospital. Right now, his body is lying at Kibugi Funeral Home in Kutus, waiting for a postmortem to establish what caused his death,” Kirinyaga East sub-county police commander Millicent Ochuka said.
The Kabuga family, led by his father Charles Kabuga, claimed they were horrified after getting a phone call in a statement made on Wednesday morning in Gichugu in Kirinyaga.
“Wachira collapsed in Kianyaga General Stadium, and his wife called to tell me that he had been transferred to Kerugoya Hospital. I boarded a boda boda and travelled more than 30 kilometres from my house, where I was devastated to see him lifeless in Kerugoya hospital,” said Kabuga.
The family said they had hoped Kabuga, 25, would fulfil his dream and join the KDF.
We previously covered why KDF insists that recruits have strong teeth.
KDF explained that soldiers can be sent to locations where they may have to rely on nearly dry foodstuffs for weeks or even months.
“There’s a need to have strong teeth to deal with dry rations in case of deployment in hardship areas,” said the recruiting officer.
Likewise, teeth that are discoloured but not as a result of bad dental care may be a sign of fluorosis and brittle bones.
READ ALSO: KDF ranks and salaries: All you need to know
Recently, Vice Chief of Defence Forces Lt Gen Jonah Mwangi said a soldier is permitted to use teeth as a weapon in the face of danger.
“A soldier may resort to using their teeth as a weapon if necessary, and they are in danger,” said Lt Gen Mwangi.
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