Teacher in Siaya beats, injures pupil then flees from school

Clinicians at Gabi Healthcare on February 22, 2018 attend to the Class 6 pupil from Sanda Primary School in Siaya County who sustained serious injuries on her buttock after being caned by a teacher. The teacher has since gone into hiding. PHOTO | TONNY OMONDI | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • The pupil sustained a gory wound said to have been inflicted by the teacher who canned her.

  • The teacher who has since gone missing is reported to have failed to turn up at his work station for the last two days.

  • Despite being aware of the matter, the head teacher, Mr Elijah Owino, is accused of failing to report the incident to the police.

A primary school teacher in Siaya County has fled his work station after allegedly beating and seriously injuring a pupil.

The Class Six pupil from Sanda Primary School, Usoga in Bondo, Siaya County is currently hospitalised at Bondo Sub-County Hospital writhing in pain.

The pupil sustained a gory wound said to have been inflicted by the teacher who canned her.

For failing to do her menial work, the 12-year-old received a beating that caused her a deep wound on the right buttock.

She cannot sit down and instead spends the day lying on her side, a result of five strokes of the cane meted on her by the deputy head teacher on Tuesday last week.

TEACHER GOES MISSING

The teacher who has since gone missing is reported to have failed to turn up at his work station for the last two days.

According to one of the teachers at the school, Mr Michael Amwor, who is also the discipline master, took a sick leave as it became apparent he had injured the kid.

But the father of the girl, Mr Daniel Oinya, accused the school administration of attempting to bribe the family and cover up the beatings which he said have become rampant in the school.

“The head teacher visited me at home and urged me to take Sh5,000 to resolve the matter once and for all in order to safeguard his job,” he said.

INCIDENT NOT REPORTED

Despite being aware of the matter, the head teacher, Mr Elijah Owino, is also accused of failing to report the incident to the police over one week since it happened.

When the Nation team visited the school seeking a comment from the head teacher, he was not in and calls to his phone did not go through.

On the day the incident happened, the deputy head teacher is said to have locked in the classroom the 54 pupils before subjecting them to corporal punishment.

“This is the third time the teacher has been accused of torturing the young learners despite the ban (on corporal punishment) by the government in 2001,” said the injured pupil’s father.

He raised concerns that some pupils who encountered the Tuesday ordeal could be suffering in silence for fear of being reprimanded by the teachers.

“The children have become terrified after being given strict warning against disclosing what they went through,” said Beth Dundee who is the guardian of the girl.

LIMPING

Ms Dundee said she discovered the girl’s injuries when she started limping four days after the incident.

The matter has now been reported at Usenge Police Station and the hunt for the culprit is on after a P3 form was filled at the Bondo Sub-County Hospital.

Fredrick Otieno, who is a clinician at Gabi Healthcare Limited in Usenge Town said the wound could have been as a result of the severe caning which caused inflammation on the pupil’s body.

“The wound had raptured on Sunday when she was brought in after it festered for over two days,” he said.

Bondo Sub-County Children Officer Allan Onguka said they will be questioning both the family and the teachers to determine how the incident happened and why it took long to be reported.

“It is questionable why the head teacher did not report the matter over one week after the incident. We are going to investigate the matter and ensure that all the culprits are put to account,” said Mr Onguka.