Student in Kirinyaga nursing injuries after teacher allegedly beats him

A secondary school student in Kirinyaga County is nursing injuries after he was allegedly assaulted by his teacher.

John Kinyua, 20, a Form Four student at Ngurubani Mixed Secondary School, suffered head and eye injuries when his history teacher allegedly set upon him with kicks and blows.

Kinyua said he was rescued by other students and taken to Kimbimbi Sub-County Hospital, where he was treated.

Later, the student, who complained of severe pains, reported the matter to the Wang'uru Police Station and recorded a statement.

The student said he arrived in school in the morning ready for studies when the teacher confronted him.

The teacher allegedly accused the student of indiscipline, held him by the neck and wrestled him down.

"My teacher intercepted me as I was going to the class, accusing me of entering into the school compound through a wrong route. I denied the accusations but he grabbed me by the neck saying that I was undisciplined and that he would teach me a lesson that I will not forget in my life time,” said the student.

He was speaking at the hospital where he had been taken by a relative for treatment.

COLLEAGUE COMES TO HIS RESCUE

He said it took the intervention of one of his colleagues to save him.

"My colleague approached the teacher and pleaded with him to spare me. Were it not for my colleague the teacher would have killed me," said the student.

Kinyua described the teacher as a very hot-tempered person who constantly administers corporal punishment on students on trivial issues.

The student is now crying for justice.

"The teacher should be arrested and prosecuted for assaulting me," he said.

He also threatened to withdraw from the school if the teacher is not transferred.

"I'm already traumatised and I can't concentrate [on my] studies when the teacher is in the school.

“The assailant should be moved or disciplinary action taken against him by the Ministry of Education," said the student.

TAKEN TO HOSPITAL

A relative, Simon Waweru, said he was at home when he received information that his cousin had been beaten by a teacher.

"I abandoned what I was doing and rushed to school and I was shocked to see the face of my cousin badly swollen. It was then that I took him to the hospital for treatment," said Mr Waweru.

Mr Waweru noted that corporal punishment is outlawed and called on Education Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang'i to intervene.

"This is a very serious matter and Dr Matiang'i should take appropriate action against the teacher who assaulted our son," said Mr Waweru.

Area police boss Mutiro Kizito said the alleged assault is being investigated.

“The teacher will be charged with assault after we are through with investigations," he added.