A 13-year old girl from Machakos County was forced to halt her education after being sent away from school .
According to reports, the girl was asked to stay at home by the Mutituni Primary School administration on November 17 after she was defiled by her uncle on September 24.
The perpetrator was arrested in October but was later released on a Kshs50, 000 bail. The case against him is scheduled for mentioning on February 17, 2022
The girl’s mother, Janet Kyau, said that the suspect later gave her daughter Kshs10 to remain silent about the issue or else she would face dire consequences.
“My daughter was paid Ksh.10 after being defiled by a person well known to her at his phone’s repair shop at Mutituni shopping center approximately two kilometers from Mutituni Primary School where she studies,” the 45-year old said.
The widow added that the suspect and his family reached out to them so that they could have an out of court settlement, which she declined, hence subjecting the minor to more threats and intimidations.
The mother of six also blamed Mutituni headteacher Catherine Kionge for subjecting her daughter to discrimination and stigma by infringing her right to education yet the case was in court.
“On November 16, my daughter told me that her class teacher had instructed her to inform me to accompany her to school the following day. When I went to school together with her on November 17, the class teacher told me to wait for the school head. When the head teacher, Kionge, arrived, she held a meeting at her office with the class teacher then called me in only to tell me that she couldn’t talk to me without my daughter’s grandmother,” Kyau said adding that,
“I called a neighbor who alerted the grandmother to join me in the school. When she arrived, Kionge said I take my daughter home. The child has since then been at home.”
Kionge however said that she acted upon orders from the Machakos sub-county Director of Education Simon Mutemi.
“I have already handed the case to my seniors. I was advised to send the child away. Mr. Mutemi will do the rest. The girl can’t learn, we can’t keep her in school while she is stressed up,” she said.
Mutemi, on his side claimed, that he was only informed about the girl’s case last week on Wednesday.
“I knew that issue on Wednesday, that’s the first time I was informed about it. I however, got to learn the issue took place many months ago. So, my first concern was where the child was,” he said.
He added that they were in the process of investigating why the girl was sent away by the school while promising action against those responsible.
“Our instruction is that, let the parent put it in writing that her child has been at home since that time so that we institute investigations. We have already started the process of investigations on why the child was at home,” Mutemi added.
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