Parents at wits end as 200 girls molested

Homa Bay, Kenya: Education authorities have launched investigations into  actions of serial rapists— teachers in Homa Bay County who target school pupils— sometimes abducting them for several days and then sexually assaulting them.

The say the amorous teachers, some as old as 60, defile pupils who often  drop out of school  due to premature pregnancies.   When their criminal acts are exposed, they threaten the victims and their parents, Teachers Service Commission (TSC) employees and children’s rights activists from taking action against them.

According to documents in our possession, male teachers in Homa Bay have defiled and impregnated 200 children in the last three years alone.

The perpetrators are school heads and their deputies who summon the girls to their homes and then defile them.

TSC County Director Diosiana Ahindukha, who was posted to the area in February, says the situation is grim because “the cases are on the rise.”

“Only ten per cent of these cases reach my office with Karachuonyo district leading in this immoral behaviour,” says Ms Ahindukha. The district also has one of the highest cases where teacher abscond classes, inflict injuries through corporal punishment and  embezzle funds,” she  says.

Some of the girls who had been sexually assaulted spoke of their  harrowing experiences.

One of them, a 10-year-old orphan living with disability, says does not want to continue with her education following her ordeal. The pupil was defiled by her teacher in a boarding school for the physically handicapped.

 When it was over, the severely injured and traumatised pupil was taken to hospital by the head teacher who did not inform her grandfather, who is her guardian, about her ordeal.

A neighbour reportedly informed the girl’s grandfather of the girl’s condition. Her grandfather says he still cannot  comprehend how his granddaughter, who he had taken to school in good health, could have landed in that situation.

When he called the head teacher to establish the truth, he says he was told to go to a local hospital where the victim had been  admitted secretly.

On arrival, the old man says he was denied entry. He reported the matter to Kendu Bay Police Officer Commanding Station who referred him to the District Education Officer (DEO).

The DEO drove me to the hospital, but we later learnt that the girl had been transferred to Kendu Adventist Hospital where she had been admitted two weeks earlier after her defilement.

“The girl, though traumatised, has since been discharged,” the old man says.

According to the Kendu Adventist Hospital doctor’s report signed   on June 30, (IP N0. 1917) the final diagnosis indicates the minor was sexually abused and infected with a disease.

A report by  the Homa Bay District Children’s Officer, Ref-CS/1/6/VOL 3/108/8/2014, confirms the case.

Another 16-year-old who was defiled by a teacher  when she was in Standard Six says she was lured with tea and pocket money.

“He forced me to sleep with him, unfortunately I conceived. I told my parents who reported him to the police, but our efforts were dashed when the case was not pursued,” she said.

The girl continued with her education and joined Form One in  a secondary school in the county.

One day on her way to school, the teacher (the father to the first child), together with his brother and another armed man, waylaid and threatened to kill her if she did not comply with their demands.

“They put me on a boda boda and took me to a house in Kisaku where I was confined for two days. They never allowed me to go out.    He  had his way with me again,” the girl recalls.

“He took me to Kabuoch in Ndhiwa and kept me under “house arrest” for three weeks, then took me to another house for two days. I found a way out and asked a woman for a phone and alerted my parents who rescued me.”

The girl, who is six now months pregnant, and has another one and a half-year-old baby, says the teacher has abandoned her and threatened to kill her, the baby and her parents should they report him to the police.

 Her father is furious. “I have spent all my money  for my daughter to get justice but the perpetrator blocks my way,” the father says.

In another case, a female teacher had a secret relationship with her Form Three student for two years.

“I would sneak out of the school to meet with her in her house. She wooed me with money and love. When my parents got wind of it, they transferred me to Kisumu,” the boy narrates.

Ahindukha says the majority of the teachers implicated have been interdicted. However, she says more should be done to stop these defilements.

  “Let us unite and condemn this uncouth behaviour to save our girls. I have been threatened but I will not relent in doing my work. I thank Governor Cyprian Awiti for standing by me,” Ahindukha says.

The governor has urged parents to report such cases to the police for investigation and to arrest and prosecute perpetrators.

Karachuonyo politician Odoyo Owidi condemned the serial rapes and said  teachers who are identified must face the law.

“Teachers are supposed to protect not defile children. Those found doing such evil deeds must be arrested and prosecuted,” Owidi says.

Civil society groups say  Ahindukha has helped in trying to contain these actions and  urged the Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) and Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (Kuppet) to assist her bring these perpetrators to book

“Most cases that get to Ahindukha are addressed. We applaud her efforts to curb these inhuman acts on our innocent children,” says Jackson Odindo of the Homa Bay County Education Network.
His colleague, Julius Omuga says, “Knut and Kuppet should work with other bodies to bring justice to victims. They should protect the learners, not teachers.”

Last week, Knut chairman Mudzo Nzili said the reports had not been brought to his attention and asked that  TSC  be left to investigate the matter and take action.

Kuppet Secretary General Akelo Misori  these heinous acts have no place in the teaching profession and  those caught must be prosecuted.

 Misori said that Quality Assurance and Standards Officers countrywide must now up their game  and the Homa Bay cases must be prosecuted.

“Interdiction is not enough. Such people must be taken to court and charged. We cannot be seen to be agitating for better working terms for teachers  when the same teachers turn against learners and ruin their lives,” said Misori.

Janet Muthoni-Ouko, the national coordinator, Elimu Yetu Coalition, a civil society advocacy group on matters of education, said the defilement statistics in Homa Bay call for immediate action and added that anyone who tries to protect such teachers is an enemy of child development.

“The Government should protect children, according to Children’s Act and Basic Education Act”, said Ms Ouko.

 “The Provincial Administration has also failed us. What are the chiefs doing when such incidents are reported to them?” posed Ouko.

TSC’s  Secretary Gabriel Lengoiboni has promised to take  up the matter. 

“Ahindukha has our full support. I want her to interdict all the accused teachers, pending investigation and prosecution,” said Lengoiboni.

He said the commission would not sit back and watch union officials intimidate TSC directors who perform their duties.

 “We can’t mix professionalism with union issues,”    added Lengoiboni.

He said the TSC had never failed to take action whenever such cases were reported.

“In Samburu, a teacher who was reported to have molested  19 girls was interdicted immediately,” said the TSC boss.