Students among eight held for stealing school tablets

Police have arrested eight people in connection with the theft of 32 tablets meant for the digital literacy programme.

Among those arrested were three students.

County Police Commander Tito Kilonzi said thieves broke into Lukova Primary School and made away with the equipment.

“The students are brothers, one is in Form Four and the other two are in Form Two. The officers interrogated them and they took us to where they had hidden the gadgets,“ Mr Kilonzi said.

He said officers found projectors, laptops, and tablets that cost more than Sh1.8 million.

“We managed to get 29 devices. They had changed the colour of the gadgets,” he said.

“Students are colluding with parents to steal devices meant for learning in schools. This should not be tolerated. We are optimistic the remaining devices will be found and suspects prosecuted in court once investigations are complete.”

He asked residents to volunteer any vital information that could lead to the recovery of the remaining devices donated to the institution under the government Digital Literacy Programme (DLP).

In March, at least 421 primary schools in the county received tablets ahead of the launch of DLP.

ICT Principal Secretary Sammy Itemere said over 8,000 teachers had been trained on ICT and how to handle the devices.

"At least 35 per cent of schools have received the tablets and we hope to complete the project soon," he said.

The remaining 467 schools were to get the gadgets by the end of March, according to Itemere.