Court releases Highridge teacher on rape charge on Sh500,000 bail

A Nairobi criminal court has released on bail a high school teacher held for allegedly defiling his student.

Mr Hillary Okeyo, of Highridge Secondary School, was released on a Sh2 million bond or an alternative Sh500,000 cash bail.

Prosecutors have said they will file an appeal against the release, saying the magistrate erred in granting him bail.

Mr Okeyo was charged with defiling the Form One girl at the school and committing an indecent act with a child. He faces life imprisonment if found guilty.

The prosecution has opposed his release on bond on the grounds that his personal security may be at risk as the incident had provoked public outrage.

A prosecutor had told the court the public may harm the teacher if he is set free from custody.

The prosecution also said investigations were incomplete and that “he is likely to interfere with evidence by contacting students and staff who are listed to testify against him”.

(READ: MUTUMA: Protect children from sexual predators)

Mr Okeyo denied charges before Chief Magistrate Daniel Ogembo at the Milimani Law Courts in Nairobi on Wednesday.

His lawyer said he has a right to State protection, and that “lynching does not have space in law".

PUBLIC OUTRAGE

The incident elicited public outrage after the child’s mother revealed that her 15-year-old daughter had been put on anti-retroviral treatment (for HIV) though the school authorities had not bothered to contact her in the first place.

She said she came to terms with the harsh reality when she was summoned to the Gigiri Police Station on Monday and learnt that her daughter had allegedly been raped five days before by the teacher.

“She started using the ARVs on Saturday, the whole of Sunday she was taking the medicine and Monday is when I got to know my daughter had was raped,” the mother told journalists.
Police have been investigating a possible cover-up after reports emerged that the student had been “cautioned” against informing her parents.

“When they (school administration) were recording a statement on Monday that is when the police called me….” the student’s mother said.

Blood samples from the suspect have been taken to the Government Chemist for analysis.

The student was allegedly raped on Wednesday, October 7, at around 9pm and was taken to hospital on Saturday morning.

(READ: Teacher held in student sex attack probe)

Despite the late reporting, “the medical reports will be important evidence that will be used in court against the suspect.”

Students at the school had threatened to go on the rampage before the case was reported.