A class six girl on Thursday, 18 February succumbed to death after a teacher allegedly beat her in Gitithia Village,Kiambu County.
According to her classmates, 12-year old Mary Wambui had gone to fetch water when the teacher started canning her, hitting her on the head in the process.
Mary returned home from school with a headache where her mother took her to a hospital later. According to Elizabeth Wanjiku, Mary’s mother, the girl was then taken for x-ray imaging to help medical personnel assess her condition.
They were then sent to Kenyatta National Hospital where she was hospitalized after her condition worsened before doctors could diagnose the cause of the deterioration.
Mary’s condition aggravated to a point where she passed on, three weeks later.
Hospital records indicated that Mary suffered from blunt force trauma to the head confirming the allegations made by her classmates. Parents and residents of the village angrily stormed the primary school demanding justice for the death of the class 6 girl.
“The child was clearly hit because she has never had any health problems since her birth. Her medical issues began after she was hit, which led her to her death,” said Joseph Ndung’u, the deceased’s uncle.
Gitithia Primary school headteacher asked the enraged mob to be patient as they pursued justice for the girl and her family.
Lari Member of County Assembly (MCA) Joseph Karichu urged authorities to investigate the incident failure to which they would take matters into their own hands.
“I ask the DPP, DCI, and the Police to quickly investigate this case. We have given them two days to give us answers. If we don’t get the answers we seek, we as parents and residents of Gitithia will take matters to our own hands,” said the MCA.
The Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) has opposed plans to re-introduce corporal punishment in Kenyan Schools despite rising cases of indiscipline in schools.
“We are not going to accept the return of corporal punishment where teachers can put in conflict to tame learners, what will happen if it will be returned, let a police officer be posted to every school to caning the learners. It will be dangerous particularly on teenagers,” said KNUT Secretary-General Wilson Sossion
