A Kilifi Court this week released on bail the director of a private school in Tezo ward, despite objections by the State and a probation report describing him as a high risk following years of alleged sexual abuse of his students.
Mr Joseph Kitonyo Kalama, the 37-year-old Managing Director and head teacher at StarStart Academy, has three independent charges of sexual offenses at the Kilifi Law Courts for cases reported between 2022 and 2025.
Kilifi Chief Magistrate Charles Obulutsa, on October 16, 2025, released Mr Kalama on a Sh100,000 cash bail with one surety of a similar amount after the state failed to secure his detention.
The ruling was specifically against case SOE 67/2025 in which Mr Kalama had been charged with indecent dealing with a child and abuse of office. The charge sheet states that the case consists of two offenses: Intentionally and unlawfully touching the chest of a 15-year-old girl in March last year and misusing his office as a director of a school between 2023 and 2025 to entice another student for sexual intercourse.
The Managing Director of the StarStart Academy, a private school in Tezo, in Kilifi North Subcounty, Joseph Kitonyo Kalama in court before Kilifi Chief Magistrate Charles Obulutsa on October 15, 2025.
Photo credit: Maureen Ongala| Nation Media Group
He also has two pending sexual offense cases: SOE 59/2022 and SOE 68/2025. In the latter, he is facing a charge of attempt to defile; he had previously been released on a Sh250,000 bond.
Prosecution asked the court to deny Mr Kalama's bond request for fear of interfering with witnesses, endangering the safety of children, and that he is already charged with several similar offenses.
The state introduced an affidavit by the investigating officer, Corporal Clara Bingo, which informed the court that Mr Kalama was a "serial offender" who had been bonded twice previously on other offenses but went ahead and sexually abused minors.
“His recidivism has continued to affect members of society, and it is imperative that bail be withheld in the public interest whose interest supersedes the right of the accused individual to be released on bail or bond," stated Ms Bingo.
Further, a pre-bail report by the Probation department cautioned Mr Kalama should not be released on bond or bail since he was high-risk.
The report had stated that local administration asserted to have received intelligence about his involvement in sexual offense cases since 2022 and viewed him as a high-risk offender who has "shown utter disdain for children, families, and the whole community."
In the ruling, the Magistrate clarified that Mr Kalama was accused of bailable offenses and noted that the state did not present strong reasons for denying him bond.
"As such, the mere fact that the offense with which an accused is charged is a serious one and carries a serious sentence is not necessarily a reason for denial of bail. That ground becomes a factor if it may be an incentive to the accused to abscond from appearing for trial," opined the Magistrate.
He noted that Mr Kalama already had bond in the other, part-heard cases and never previously accused of absconding. The court ultimately held the objection had not raised compelling reasons.
The Managing Director of the StarStart Academy, a private school in Tezo, in Kilifi North Subcounty, Joseph Kitonyo Kalama in court before Kilifi Chief Magistrate Charles Obulutsa on October 15, 2025.
Photo credit: Maureen Ongala| Nation Media Group
Information about Mr Kalama indicates a pattern of historical allegations of abuse. He is alleged to have been sexually abusing students since 2021.
He founded StarStart Academy in 2015 after he quit teaching at Hadija Academy. His first wife deserted him after witnessing his "bad sexual behavior with underage girls."
One of the victims in his current case is a 15-year-old Grade Seven student at his school whose education he sponsored as her uncle. The police investigating officer stated that Mr Kalama attempted to compel the girl to have sex by giving her permission to pursue school studies without fee payment.
The majority of the parents who had children that were claimed to have been abused refused to report the matter due to close ties they had with the director and did not want to lose the sponsorship of their children and hence being expelled from the school.
The institution's teachers also claimed that they had information about the boss's conduct but covered for him.
Earlier this month, the child advocacy organization Friends for Justice (FFJ) sent a letter to the Ministry of Education requesting that the school's adherence to policies on the protection of children be assessed, and that the institution be suspended or deregistered.
FFJ preliminary probe discovered that the incidents happened across several months beginning in October 2021, signaling a "long-standing pattern of abuse and exploitation."
The local police have issued warnings regarding the public's participation in concealing such crimes.
During celebrations of Madaraka Day, Kilifi North Deputy County Commissioner Mr Samuel Mutisya warned community chiefs and elders against having defilement cases tried in "Kangaroo courts," which usually involve covering up for the offender by family members while victimizing the victim.
