Meru: Secondary school student beaten by prefects for allegedly stealing Ksh.600

A distraught parent is lamenting the mistreatment and assault of her child at Kaaga Boys High School in Meru County.

The parent says her child, who was to sit his KCSE exams this year, was brutally assaulted by school prefects while in school, causing extensive injuries and psychological trauma.

The teenager has since refused to go back to the school out of fear.

Graphic images seen by Citizen TV show the results of the brutal assault of the 17-year-old student by the prefects. He had been accused of stealing Ksh.600 from a Form 1 student, but the prefects were unable to prove their case. He says they waited for night time and set upon him.

“Walinichapa for more than one hour…walinipiga hadi kwa ribs na macho,” said the boy.

The severity of the incident further worsened by the fact that the beating was meted by fellow students entrusted with authority by the institution.

“Walikuwa prefects wa dining hall na dorm captain,” he added.

The assault happened on the night of June 5, 2024, and the victim says it stopped only because he ran when he got the chance; it was the only thing he could do at around 1am.

The boy’s mother Lilian Nyabuto said: “And he was naked, he walked for over 7kms to Meru town…he had sustained injuries out of that…”

His mother received what she describes as a call from a stranger. She requested the Good Samaritan to take the student to Meru Police Station, where the matter was reported.

“The school never informed me about the incident, I was called from Meru town and the school remained silent,” added Ms. Nyabuto.

Medical reports show the student suffered serious injuries on the limbs, parts of the chest, an eye injury and other bodily injuries occasioned by the assault.

The school principal allegedly persuaded the student to give false information on what had transpired.

“After the hospital, the principal told my son to lie to investigators that he got the injuries while jumping over the fence and not while in school,” said Ms. Nyabuto.

The school principal, who did not agree to Citizen TV requests for an interview, said he was aware of the case and that it was under investigation.

He insisted that the teenager was not assaulted by fellow students at the school saying the victim was attacked by unknown people when he ran away from school. He had no explanation on why the student ran away from school.

The matter was reported at Meru Police Station on morning of the 6th of June under OB.15/6/6/2024. The police are yet to make any progress according to the victim and his mother.

The doctor’s report indicated that the teenager sustained bruises with lacerations on the upper and lower limbs, and the left side of the chest.

He also sustained eye injury-swelling and tender eye with blurred vision and that he also sustained bruises secondary to the assault on his lower limbs.

The doctor noting that the probable type of weapons that caused the injuries were blunt objects, punches and kicks.

The Form 4 student's prospects of sitting this year's KCSE exam are in doubt as he has not set foot in the school since he ran away.

“He was the one who was a victim, he was the one who was assaulted, but he is at home and those who attacked him are still in school learning,” said Ms. Nyabuto.

“I can’t believe that can happen in school, the school let me down…I have followed the matter with the Ministry of Education, but I have not gotten a solution from them.”

Although police maintain the investigation is still underway, the teenager's mother remains in the dark, unaware of what is happening.