The Star ­ Friday
Date: 17.06.2016
Page 24
Article size: 191 cm2
ColumnCM: 42.44
AVE: 74702.22
Teacher jailed for 90 years for
sexually assaulting nine boys
Young boarding master John Gichia Mugi was convicted of indecently assaulting nine
boys at Muthiria Primary School in May 2015. He got 10 years for each boy
ALICE WAITHERA
((SAIIcewangechl
^ A 23­year­old primary school teacher cently assaulted by the teacher.
in Murang'a yesterday was sentenced
to 90 years in prison for sexually as­
saulting nine boys.
John Gichia Mugi was convicted
of indecently assaulting nine boys at
* Muthiria Primary School between Jan­
uary and May 2015.
The school's head teacher was then
He sentenced Gichia to 10 years pris­
on term for each of the nine counts
interdicted by the Teachers Service with the sentences running con­
Commission after it was discovered
that he tried to cover up the case.
Gichia, told the court that the stu­
dents conspired with some teachers to
frame him and said he was innocent.
He said a rivalry had emerged be­
The victims had testified the teacher,
who was their boarding master, would tween him and three other teachers
lure them and touch their private parts after he was promoted to head the sci­
after night preps.
ence department.
The boys told the court Mugi tried to
Delivering the sentence, resident
molest them while in their dormitories
magistrate Jesse Masiga said the pros­
but they resisted.
ecution had proved beyond reasonable
The court also heard Mugi, who
doubt that the teacher sexually assault­
was employed by the school's board of
ed the boys.
He said the attitude of the victims
management, fled after the boys aged
towards the teacher had been positive
between 13 and 16 years reported him
adding sexual offences are so shameful
to their parents.
The court was told one of the vic­
and humiliating that no responsible
person would lie about them.
tims, a class eight pupil, refused to be
Masiga said the offence committed
left at the school by his parents. At that
were too heinous.
time he disclosed he was being inde­
curently.
(+) TIP OF
THE ICEBERG
A government report released in
2009found that only 633 teachers
were charged with sexual abuse
in over five years covered by the
study. That was only the tip of
the Iceberg — most cases went
unreported. Records at the TSC
were not clear on the number of
school pupils abused. Some of
the cases were handled by school
boards and committees before
they were taken to higher levels. In
handling by different players, some
of evidence got lost along the way
and distortions are common.
Ipsos Kenya ­ Acorn House,97 James Gichuru Road ­ Lavington ­ Nairobi ­ Kenya