Family of student caned to death agree to be paid by teacher

Piece by: Queen Serem
InPictures

The parents of a Standard 2 student who was caned to death as punishment were ready to settle the matter with the teacher, a children's official has said.

Ganze subcounty children's officer Daniel Mbogo yesterday said Mohamed Juma's parents were reluctant to report the matter to police because the teacher had agreed to pay for the student's treatment.

Juma was a students at Mnagoni Primary School in Bamba. He was punished on September 13 and died on Thursday last week from what police believe are internal injuries resulting from the caning.

Juma collapsed and died on his way to Bamba Subcounty Hospital. Ganze police boss Patrick Ngeiywa on Friday said the teacher had been arrested and arraigned in a Kilifi court. He will be charged once investigations are complete.

Kilifi senior principal magistrate Robinson Ondieki allowed police to detain the suspect at Bamba police station for 14 days to allow them complete investigations.​ The case will be mentioned on October 4.

Mbogo said the family felt the best thing was for the teacher to compensate them for the injuries.

“The parents only came to report the assault case after the death of the boy because the teacher had promised to cater for the treatment. They only changed their mind after he died," Mbogo said in Kilifi.

The body of the late Juma is at the Kilifi county mortuary in wait postmortem.