17 students in court over school fires
Five students of Itierio Girls High School are led back into police holding cells after appearing before a resident magistrate court in Kisii on November 16, 2021. The minors were charged with attempted arson and preparation to commit felony.
Seventeen students have been taken to court in three separate counties, charged with arson-related cases in their schools.
Appearing before a Kerugoya court on Monday, five students of Kerugoya Girls High School in Kirinyaga County were charged with setting a dormitory on fire and destroying property worth thousands of shillings on November 14.
When the girls appeared before Chief Magistrate Alex Ithuku, they denied the charge and prayed to be freed on bond. However, they were remanded in police custody until today, when their bail application will be considered.
The magistrate also ordered that a probation report on the social status of each of the girls be produced in court.
The school has been closed indefinitely and more than 1,000 girls sent home following the incident.
In Murang’a, seven students of Ichagaki Boys High School were on Tuesday charged with attempted arson.
Before Chief Resident Magistrate Sambu Kibet, they were accused of conspiring to light a fire with the intention of burning a dormitory at their school on November 13.
The group was made up of two Form Four students, two Form Two students and one in Form Three.
However, they did not take a plea after the magistrate ordered that they be subjected to age assessment.
The court directed that the students be remanded at Maragua Police Station and Officer Commanding Station (OCS) Cleophas Juma facilitate the execution of the age assessment order.
"Their charge sheet indicates that they are to stand trial for attempted arson, preparation and conspiracy to commit a felony. It is very important that we ascertain their real age since there are attached grave consequences should they take plea," the magistrate said.
He deferred the plea taking to Wednesday and directed that the accused should be represented by defence counsel.
At the Kisii courts, five Itierio Girls Secondary School students yesterday morning denied charges of attempted arson at their school dormitory on November 9.
Appearing before Senior Resident Magistrate Paul Mutahi, the students pleaded not guilty and were granted a surety bond of Sh50,000 or a cash bail of 20,000 each. Their case will be mentioned on November 29.
In the wake of a wave of school unrest, Education Cabinet Secretary Prof George Magoha issued a stern warning to arsonists in schools, saying their actions will not only be updated in their profiles but also haunt them during and after school.
“It looks mundane and juvenile for someone who is in high school to burn a dormitory. What has the building done to you? Let us not pretend that they are burning dormitories due to stress from corona. That is not true,” said Prof Magoha.
Last week, the Ministry of Education directed school managements to call for immediate board meetings and engage learners on some of the academic issues that can be implemented to reduce pressure that could be leading learners to resort to arson.
Education PS Julius Jwan said schools should be held accountable for all losses witnessed in school, especially where staff live within the institution.
"There is no way a dormitory in a school will burn down without anyone witnessing. There are schools where teachers and other support staff live in schools. It is impossible to say there are no witnesses in an arson attack in such schools," Dr Jwan said.
Speaking during a tour of schools in Homa Bay County, the PS said the government would not shoulder the cost of rebuilding classrooms, dormitories, laboratories or any other buildings set ablaze by learners.
He also warned that learners who burn down school property will be handled as criminals.
Those who will be found guilty of burning down their school property risk being blacklisted by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), the PS said.
However, Dr Jwan faulted some schools for having bulky academic programmes with little leisure time, saying learners in some institutions have burned down property after being denied a chance to watch football or engage in leisure activities.
"Children should not be subjected to learning throughout their season in school. From time to time, they should be engaged in sporting activities to discourage boredom," he said.
By George Munene, Mwangi Muiruri and Wycliffe Nyaberi
