The mother of a fifth-year university student who was yesterday shot by police for intruding into State House holding a knife says her son is mentally disturbed.

Irene Jemutai yesterday told the Star by phone that Brian Kibet had been having psychotic problems since he was in the third year at Jkuat. He is a mechanical engineering student.

Jemutai recalled that her son used to get violent and threaten to kill his father. This forced family members to take him to the hospital.

“My son has been receiving treatment for the last one year in an Eldoret hospital. We thought his mental condition has ended. He seemed okay to us and that was when we allowed him to go sit for his final exams,” she said.

She said that Kibet kept on repeating his exams when he was a fourth-year.

Jemutai said she had been told that Kibet lied to his friends that there was someone who was going to take him to hospital. That was how he left Jkuat.

Kibet had on Sunday evening on his Facebook page threatened to invade State House.

He wrote, “To President Kenyatta, tomorrow I invade State House. God has sent me to execute judgment on every thief and every partner of the thief.”

His distraught mother was at a loss how Kibet found himself at State House.

Jkuat’s chief corporate communication officer Hindzano Ngonyo told the Star yesterday that the institution took him for guidance and counselling sessions after some of his classmates noticed his frequent change of behaviour.

"The student was mentally challenged. Mechanical engineering is not a joke. We have further introduced the initiative in conjunction with the students and we have also come up with several clubs and bring out speakers who would address issues on mental health, depression or any other issues that might bring a  challenge among the students," he said.

Back at his home in Kitale, Jemutai said her son used to wander around and would sometimes pick sand and apply it all over his body.

Both the family and the university say he is a hardworking and humble person.

Kibet is the firstborn. He has two sisters and four brothers.

The 25-year-old student is nursing gunshot injuries at Kenyatta National Hospital under police guard.

In March 2016, William Ngene, a handcart pusher was arrested and taken to court for jumping over two fences and sneaking into State House.

Also in April 2017, an unknown intruder was shot dead after he illegally accessed the grounds by jumping over the fence just before 5pm.

He was spotted by GSU personnel at the parking area near the main buildings.

Trizza Kimani/The Star