Meru teacher facing sexual assault charges was 'early bird'

KENYA: A teacher facing 10 counts of sexually assaulting his pupils in Meru was popular in his school for being an early bird.

One of the alleged victims of Julius Mwiti, 45, told Chief Magistrate Lucy Ambasi that pupils liked the teacher for turning up to work early.

Testifying in camera, the pupil said the Mugae Primary School teacher was unpopular with parents, and that he allegedly threatened his victims that he would cane them if they reported the molestation.

The pupil was among the three who testified against the teacher yesterday. A fourth pupil was indisposed and could not testify.

Mr Mwiti was accused of touching girls in their private parts on different dates with the earliest alleged offence placed at November, 2015 and the latest at March 7, this year. His alleged victims are aged between eight and 11.

He denied all the charges and was released on a Sh1 million bond and a surety of a similar amount.

The three pupils, who testified yesterday, were aged between 10 and 11 and are all in Standard Four. One of them told the court that she had been class prefect and was assaulted in a workroom adjoining the staff room when she took the classwork for marking.

"We were in class when the teacher came to show us a mobile phone and he put his hand under my dress. No one else could see. He said if we told anyone he would beat us up," one of the alleged victims told the court.

Another victim told the court that the assault started when they were in Standard Three, and that it happened frequently until the matter exploded and ended up with the police.

The hearing continues on August 15 when the last victim is expected to testify before parents and other witnesses are called.