A 45-year-old primary school teacher in Meru was yesterday charged with sexually assaulting 10 primary school pupils aged eight and 11 years.
The teacher was accused of sexually assaulting the girls over a period of five months at the school in Buuri District, Meru County. Julius Mwiti was unemotional when the multiple charges of sexual assault were read to him before Principal Magistrate Joseph Karanja in a Meru court yesterday.
Dressed in a striped shirt, Mr Mwiti denied the offences as they were read out to him one by one. The charges stated that he used his fingers to penetrate the private parts of the girls on different dates, with the earliest offence placed at November 2015 and the latest March 7, this year.
The teacher was charged after parents held week-long protests that culminated in his arrest. Area Chief Japhet Kaai said the teacher has another case at the Children's Department where a former pupil from the same school is seeking child maintenance for a child she sired with him.
At the court yesterday, State Counsel James Murage said the police were yet to complete investigations into all the incidents involving the complainants. However, he did not oppose the release of the accused on bond.
"Bail is a constitutional right and we do not oppose it. We however, ask that the terms be consistent with the alleged offence," said Mr Murage.
Lawyer George Mugambi for the accused asked for favourable terms, saying as a salaried government employee the accused would obey the terms and appear in court if and when he was required.
He also applied for copies of the charge sheet, witness statements and other documents to enable him defend the school teacher.
"Although the prosecution has not raised the matter, the court notes that the accused is a teacher and he is ordered not to make contact with the complainants or their parents when he is released on bond," said the magistrate.
The accused was released on a Sh1 million bond with a surety of a similar amount.
