A 45 – year – old widow has protested what she termed as discrimination after her defiled daughter was sent away from a public school in Machakos County a month ago.
Janet Kyau claimed that her 13 – year – old daughter was sent away by Mutituni primary school administration on November 17 after she was reportedly defiled by her uncle.
The minor was allegedly defiled on September 24 but suspect arrested on October 13 before being released on bail according to documents.
Kyau said the minor was defiled by the man well known to her who later gave her Sh10 coin and warned her to keep silence about the incident or else she faces dire consequences.
She said the second last born child out of six was traumatized after she was forced to stay at home by the school’s head teacher Catherine Kionge despite the fact that the defilement case was ongoing at a Machakos high court
The suspect is out on Sh50, 000 cash bail while mention slated for February 17, 2022.
“My daughter was paid Sh10 after being defiled by a person well known to her, an uncle at his phones repair shop at Mutituni shopping centre approximately two kilometres from Mutituni primary school where she studies,” Kyao said.
Janet Kyau was addressing reporters at her mother’s home in Uthini village, Machakos Town.
She said the suspect and his family had attempted to approach them to withdraw the case from for an out of court settlement.
But, she had declined leading to lots of threats and intimidation of the minor by the suspect and his immediate family members including children.
The widow blamed the head teacher for sending her daughter out of school stating that the minor shouldn’t be stigmatized and discriminated against since it wasn’t her wish to be defiled. She said the daughter’s right to education had been infringed.
“One of the suspect’s brother approached my mother, the minor’s grandmother telling her that we should withdraw the case from court for out of court settlement but we refused,” Kyao said.
Kyau added, “On November 16, my daughter told me that her class teacher had instructed her to inform me (mother) to accompany her (daughter) to school the following day. When I went to school together with her on November 17, the class teacher told me to wait for the school head. When the head teacher, Kionge, arrived, she held a meeting at her office with the class teacher then called me in only to tell me that she couldn’t talk to me without my daughter’s grandmother.”
“I called a neighbor who alerted the grandmother to join me in the school. When she arrived, Kionge said I take my daughter home. The child has since then, November 17, been at home,” Kionge said.
Kionge said she acted on Machakos Sub County director of Education Simon Mutemi, her boss’s instructions.
“I have already handed the case to my seniors. I was advised to send the child away. Mr. Mutemi will do the rest,” Kionge said.
“The child can’t learn, we can’t keep her in school while she is stressed up,” she added.
Mutemi said he was aware of the minor’s plight after he was informed by Kionge last Wednesday.
“I knew that issue on Wednesday, that’s the first time I was informed about it. I however, got to learn the issue took place many months ago. So, my first concern was where the child was.
Mutemi said he wasn’t aware that the girl had been sent away from school.
He said his office had launched investigations into the child’s alleged being sent away from school by the head teacher.
“Our instructions is that, let the parent put it in writing that her child has been at home since that time so that we institute investigations. We have already started the process of investigations on why the child was at home,” he said.
Mutemi said those found capable will be held responsible.