News
Unrest: Students face prison life
Posted Thursday, July 24 2008 at 23:39
In Summary
- Twelve students charged with attempted murder.
- Most in Forms Four and Three.
- Students released on a Sh20,000 bond each.
Twelve students have been charged with attempted murder following riots and arson in secondary schools.
The students, all from Kabarnet High School in Baringo District, face life in prison if convicted.
The charges are the most serious to be brought against any student after the two weeks of countrywide unrest in schools which led to the death of one student at Nairobi’s Upper Hill School. The students were also accused of destroying school property.
Released on bond
Most of those in court are in Forms Four and Three. They denied the charges before resident magistrate Eston Nyaga and were released on a Sh20,000 bond each.
They will return to court on August 7 for the mention of their case before the hearing on September 8.
The charges arose from an incident which occurred on Wednesday when a Sh20 million dormitory was burnt at the school in Kabarnet.
Seven other students were charged with arson following incidents in other schools.
The tough measures announced by the Ministry of Education appear to have led to a reduction in the number of riots in schools.
Meanwhile, the National Council of Church of Kenya, which brings together all Protestant churches, and the Catholic Church called for compulsory religious studies in secondary schools as one way to instil moral values in students.
Religious studies are optional subjects.
However, the churches have differed over whether caning should be reintroduced in schools.
NCCK supports the re-introduction of corporal punishment but the Catholic Church opposes the proposal.
Elsewhere, Education minister Sam Ongeri hinted that the ministry was rethinking the idea of mock examinations.
Freed on bond
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Submitted by coolyhigharmonyPosted July 25, 2008 07:07 PM
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Submitted by nuurkey07
you knw wht u guys in kenya have the best education in the word but u have no idea how it would help u develop in here u are high students i used some of my education now i am a doctor in kenya i used to like strikes, jst to get out frm school but once i realised wht i was loosing it was hard to regain it, trust me u will find it one day but its never late than never
Posted July 25, 2008 12:42 PM -
Submitted by fkmbate
Anyone who sets a building on fire is a criminal and should be treated as such. They should be jailed so that it sets an example of how a disciplined student should behave
Posted July 25, 2008 09:58 AM -
Submitted by awamweya
I believe this case have been handle with the least professionalism like many other cases in recent Kenya. I think if the government wants to protect the kids by abdicating both parent and teachers from disciplining then the govt should build Juvenile jails for unruly rowdy teenagers. Remember not everything western is good for Africa or is close to applicable, we need to stick to the guns and give the whoop back to the society.
Posted July 25, 2008 07:09 AM
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Think of it objectively... freedom of speach. The tension of putting all those boys (who somehow have realized they have rights) from all over in the confines of sub standard living conditions.. consider this the growing pains of democracy...