Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha has broken his silence following the senseless caning of a primary school student who took five Chapatis.
Speaking at Allidina Visram High School in Mombasa on Sunday, February 6, the CS maintained that corporal punishment was still banned under the Kenyan Constitution.
He directed that all teachers found caning students would be arrested and their private institutions shut down.
“You are not allowed to beat a child. The law still does not allow you. We know that sometimes they (students) threaten you but that is against the law.
“Anybody who lifts his hand to beat a child under the current laws should be arrested by the police. If it is a private school, it is even easier to close down because the government schools are open,” he stated.
Regarding the Gremon Education Center student who sustained injuries, Magoha ordered the closure of the institution and directed that students be admitted to public schools.
He further assured parents that all Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) candidates from the school would sit for their exams.
“Our order is that we shut this one and take you to a government school immediately. If it is an examination class and the boy has been registered, we shall make sure he does exams,” he added.
The institution was closed after it emerged that it was not properly registered under the Ministry of Education.
After the merciless beating that caught the country’s attention, the victim, a Class 7 pupil, sustained grave injuries to his kidney as well as marks on his body after he was accused of taking five Chapatis instead of one.
According to Dr. Nabil Varwani, the student needed extensive medical attention to treat the wounds infected by a teacher. The doctor added that the victim also sustained injuries on his genitalia and kidney.
The school administrator Nancy Gachewa and one of her students aged 20 years old were arrested regarding the incident.
