High Court releases three schoolboys accused of setting dormitory on fire

St Thomas Aquinas Igumori Secondary School in Mbeere South, Embu County. [Muriithi Mugo, Standard]

The High Court has ordered the release of three boys from Kiritiri Police Station in Mbeere South where a magistrate court detained them from November 16.

Justice Lucy Njuguna released them on a bond of Sh100,000 or cash bail of Sh50,000, pending being charged with setting their school dormitory ablaze.

Through Mwaniki Gachuba and company advocates, the boys appealed a ruling by a magistrate court to hold them at the police station for seven days as police complete investigations.

Principal Magistrate Edwin Wasike, sitting at Siakago Law Courts, had granted permission to DCI officers based at Kiritiri to hold the boys.

In his submission to the High Court, lawyer Mwaniki Gachuba said the DCI officers had failed to justify how the boys would interfere with investigations.

"The boys are minors who are held together with adults at the said police station. I pray to this court to release them on reasonable bail terms," he submitted.

According to the supporting affidavit submitted by DCI to the magistrate court, "On November 14, 2021, at around 6:40pm, the principal at Aquinas Igumori Secondary School within Mbeere South made an arson report."

The report indicates that the school dormitory, namely, Kilimanjaro and accommodating 106 students, was set ablaze, destroying students' property amounting to Sh1,518,400, excluding the value of the damaged dormitory.

The police report further indicated that DCI officers interviewed several students, leading to the arrest of the three.

Meanwhile, the school has instructed all boarders to accompany their parents and guardians while reporting back to the institution. They are also expected to pay Sh7,954 to repair the dormitory.