Teacher charged with sex attack on students

What you need to know:

  • Chief Magistrate Doreen Mulekyo directed that the case be mentioned today to enable the State Prosecutor, Mr Michael Rabera, to brief the magistrate on the state of affairs at the school as well as the students’ safety.
  • The girls, who had been placed under the custody of the Children’s Department, were also asked to attend court on Friday for further directions.
  • The parents and the children’s officers accompanied by the County Teachers Service Commission (TSC) director encouraged the children to work hard and assured them of more support.

A teacher was on Monday charged in a Nakuru court with sexually molesting six secondary school students.

However, Mr Paul Gicheru, a Kiswahili teacher at Njoro Girls High School, denied defiling one of his students and indecently assaulting five others aged between 16 and 17.

Chief Magistrate Doreen Mulekyo directed that the case be mentioned today to enable the State Prosecutor, Mr Michael Rabera, to brief the magistrate on the state of affairs at the school as well as the students’ safety.

The teacher’s lawyer, Mr Karanja Mbugua, protested against the charges, saying that his client was innocent and that students had rioted after learning of his arrest.

At the same time, a children’s court allowed the parents of the six alleged victims to take them away with strict instructions that they all be taken for counselling.

The girls, who had been placed under the custody of the Children’s Department, were also asked to attend court on Friday for further directions.

The court had heard that the six were in need of care and protection because their own teacher had sexually molested them.

The students and their parents left the court at 1.25pm after their parents had committed themselves in writing that they would accompany the students back to court for the mention of the case on Friday this week.

The parents and the children’s officers accompanied by the County Teachers Service Commission (TSC) director encouraged the children to work hard and assured them of more support.

Two parents volunteered to stand surety for two students whose parents were unavailable.

The two said it would be traumatising for the students to be remanded at the Juvenile Remand Home until Friday.

Mr Gicheru denied all the six counts, terming them as a fabrication aimed at tarnishing his 25-year teaching career.

He said that Kiswahili was the best taught subject at the national school in Nakuru County.

The offences were said to have been committee between June last year and June this year.

Nakuru County TSC head Agnetta Kitheka informed the court that the matter had been taken seriously as it had adversely affected the running of the institution after students went on the rampage.

She said that all the six students had been taken for counselling and protection with plans being made to ensure their safety.

This was after Mr Rabera opposed the teacher’s release on bond, saying he feared for the safety of the students.

He also told the court that the teacher was highly likely to interfere with witnesses if freed.

However, Mr Mbugua strongly opposed the application and said that bail was a constitutional right.

He also said that his client would keep away from the national boarding school until the case against him is heard and determined.