An aspiring Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) recruit who featured in a widely reported incident where he threatened to beat up military personnel in Kilifi County, passed on Friday, February 12.
Maxwell Saro was among hundreds who turned up for the ongoing KDF recruitment in Malindi town, Kilifi County on Thursday, February 11 but became violent in an apparent mental breakdown.
Saro caused drama and disrupted the training cautioning fellow recruits that he would beat them if they did not leave the Alaskan grounds.
"Get out of this grounds before I unleash my wrath on you. By 3pm, all of you should have left," he yelled.
Upon completing the physical exercise, Maxwell developed medical complications that were stabilised by KDF medical personnel. He was later discharged and went home where he died a few hours later.
Speaking to Kenya News Agency, Maxwell’s father, former Langobaya Councillor Joseph Saro, was shocked of his son's death stating that he had been in good health when he left for the recruitment exercise.
He said he took his son for the exercise where he witnessed him running passionately and eventually emerging among the top contestants.
“However, when he arrived, he turned violent and had to be contained by the recruitment officers, who took him to a tent and stabilized him. I later took him home, as he had fully recovered, but he remained restless,” the father said.
When they got home, the elder Saro claimed his son looked depressed and even refused to eat owing to the fact that he might not achieve his dreams of being a soldier.
“I bought him milk and oranges, but he said he was feeling tired and cold, so I left him to rest. At about 5.00 pm, he woke up and I gave him the oranges and milk, but later he started complaining again that he was feeling weak and cold,” Saro said.
Maxwell was taken to a local medical facility where they spent the night as his blood level was too low.
Upon returning home, Maxwell suffered another violent episode and was again rushed to Ebenezer Medical Center he was declared dead.
“As I was making tea, Maxwell turned violent again and I called his brother, who rushed to our house on a motorcycle and we rushed him to the Ebenezer Medial Centre where he was pronounced dead,” said the sorrowful parent.
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