12 boys arrested over raid on Sing’ore Girls High School dormitory

Sing'ore Girls Secondary School in Iten. A schoolboy is in hospital and 12 others are in police custody after they allegedly raided a dormitory in the school. FILE PHOTO | JARED NYATAYA | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • Police officers received confusing reports, which indicated that the intruders at Sing’ore Girls High School were gangsters.
  • One of them suffered a panga cut on the knee, while others sustained injuries as they escaped through the barbed wire fence.
  • According to police, officers were stunned when the boys said they carried the condoms to protect their girlfriends after the girls invited them to the school.
  • The boys allegedly told police that they visit Sing‘ore once a year, particularly during the cold season, in a practice that dates back to the 1980s.

A schoolboy is in hospital and 12 others in police custody after they allegedly raided a girls’ dormitory in Elgeyo-Marakwet on Saturday night.

Iten County Referral Hospital Medical Superintendent Gastro Mugala said the student, who is badly injured, would undergo knee surgery.

Keiyo North Sub-County police boss Fredrick Ochieng said officers received confusing reports, which indicated that the intruders at Sing’ore Girls High School were gangsters.

“However, we were later told that boys from the neighbouring St Patrick’s Boys High School had sneaked into the compound with an intention of raping the girls,” said the police boss.

Screams by the girls attracted neighbours, who thought gangsters had raided the school.

FORCED WAY INTO GIRLS' DORM

But, it emerged that a group of 40 schoolboys from St Patrick’s, six kilometres away, had forced their way into the girls’ dormitory, allegedly after being sent short text messages by some girls.

However, when things got out of hand, the girls raised the alarm, alerting neighbours.

In the ensuing melee, the boys were attacked by watchmen.

One of them suffered a panga cut on the knee, while others sustained injuries as they escaped through the barbed wire fence.

Some girls were also reportedly injured in the stampede that ensued.

Mr Ochieng said a roll-call conducted by teachers at St Patrick’s established that a large number of Form Three and Form Four students were missing.

He said police found the group of boys on the Iten-Sing’ore-Kapsowar road as the rains pounded away.

12 ARRESTED, OTHERS FLED

“Our officers managed to arrest 12 boys, while the rest fled into the bush.

“They found six packets of condoms. The boys are in the cells,” said Mr Ochieng.

Elgeyo-Marakwet County Director of Education Sabina Aroni said the two principals, Mr Wilson Yego of St Patrick’s Iten and his counterpart at Sing’ore Girls, Mrs Rose Koech, would be summoned to her office.

Mr Yego told the Nation the management is handling the matter internally.

Mrs Koech regretted the incident, saying it happened while she was away in Nairobi.

According to police, officers were stunned when the boys said they carried the condoms to protect their girlfriends after the girls invited them to the school.

The boys allegedly told police that they visit Sing‘ore once a year, particularly during the cold season, in a practice that dates back to the 1980s.

“The students in Form Four pass the mantle to their juniors once they complete their secondary school education,” said a police officer.