This state of affairs is already sending alarms not only through the ministry of education, but also a wide range of stakeholders in the education sector and security agencies across the nation as the situation seems to be getting worse.

Just recently, two students of Ngaru Girls High School pleaded not guilty to sexual assault charge in a Kerugoya court. The girls appeared before Principal magistrate Hanna Ndung’u on two charges of sexual assault.

The two are charged that on March 30 at Ngaru Girls school compound they sexually assaulted a form one student, while the second count read that willingly they inserted a metal bar in her vagina as a way of sexually molesting her. Peter Muchira, the lawyer representing the girls, applied for bond but the magistrate told him to wait until the investigations were completed.

In his argument, the lawyer says that the court cannot deny the two bond because they are 15 years old and school going students, therefore the girls will not fail to attend court when needed as they are students of high discipline.

Muchira asked the court to supply him with the statements, charge sheet and documentary evidence that the prosecution will be relying on adding that according to the old and new constitution, the offence allegedly committed is bailable and their rights were being violated by denial of bond.

He said the girls have since been suspended from school and will not interfere with the investigation. He also said the offence allegedly occurred in February and March and the police should have brought it to court before April.

Prosecutor Inspector Stanslaus Mwangi told the court that the bond the counsel was requesting for cannot be issued since investigations were not yet through and asked the court for three more days for the investigations to be completed.

The magistrate agreed with the prosecution ordering the two to be remanded at the Kerugoya police cells. She said bond will be issued tomorrow (today) since the girls were arrested yesterday. Mention of the case is today and hearing was set for June 7.

That was not all as in Rift valley, four students yesterday appeared in an Eldoret court charged with gang raping a form two girl. The form four students of 64 Secondary School were arrested after allegedly raping the girl at Macahria Esatate in Uasin Gishu. A warrant of arrest has been issued against a fifth student who is on the run. The four appeared before senior resident magistrate Innocent Maisiba.

where they allegedly forced the 14-year-old girl into a house and gang raped her. The students, in uniform, denied the charge and were released on a bond of Sh100,000 each.

Christopher Otieno, Calfon Biwott, Swalee Osege, Raphael Losuko and Nimrod Korir allegedly defiled their girl when she followed them to demand back her bag. Korir was being sough t by the police. Biwott and Otieno face two separate counts of gang defilement contrary to section 10 of the Sexual Offenses Act No 7 of 2007. Osege, Losuko and Korir faced a separate count which stated that while in the company of Biwott and Otieno, they had a common intention to defile the female student.

Lawyer Lazarus Sirtui represented the students, while Ledisha Kittonyi is attorney for the family of the defiled student, who was treated and discharged from the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital.

The incident caused panic at the school after it was established that the female student had been barred from sitting for her end-term exams while the accused were allowed to go on with their examinations. Female lawyers and women rights activists were planning to storm the school to protest as to why the defiled girl was barred from sitting for her exams.

Apart from that it has clearly emerged that homosexuality, lesbianism and drug abuse are widespread in learning institutions, Education Permanent Secretary Prof James ole Kiyiapi has since confirmed.  He regretted that what he called immoral behaviour had penetrated education.

Prof Kiyiapi said the vices were a major challenge that had to be fought at all costs and called on all those involved in education to join the battle against moral decadence in the institutions.“Such immoral behaviour should be fought to save the young generation from going to waste,” he added .

The PS warned that students found to be involved in homosexuality, lesbianism or drug abuse would be expelled from learning institutions and prosecuted.

In Kenya, the possession, use and sale of narcotics is illegal, but equality in sexual orientation is protected under the new Constitution. He instructed principals of high schools and colleges to be vigilant and intensify counseling and guidance services to get rid of the vices.

The PS was commenting on an incident in which a Form One student was sexually assaulted by her senior colleagues after she turned down their sexual advances. The student is undergoing treatment at a local hospital. After the assault, the suspects were arrested and detained at the local police station for questioning.

The incident occurred in the same week that four students of 64 Secondary School were charged in court with defiling a Form Two girl.

The PS blamed immoral practices on ignorant parents who fail to discuss sexual matters with their children and also condemned bullying in schools. He warned that any student caught bullying others would not be spared.

As at the end of last month twelve students had been charged with attempted murder following riots and arson in secondary schools. The students, all from Kabarnet High School in Baringo District, face life in prison if convicted.

The charges are the most serious to be brought against any student after the two weeks of countrywide unrest in schools which led to the death of one student at Nairobi’s Upper Hill School. The students were also accused of destroying school property. Most of those in court were in Forms Four and Three. They denied the charges before resident magistrate Eston Nyaga and were released on a Sh20,000 bond each.

As the boys from Kabarnet High appeared in court, their colleagues from neighbouring Tenges Secondary were sent home following the indefinite closure of the school due to student restlessness in the past two days.

Baringo district education officer Eliud Wanaswa and district commissioner Khamasi Shivogo said the school managers were advised to close it and send the 570 students home because there was high tension among the learners as in another case, a Form Two student was charged in a Nakuru court with preparing to burn a school.

Alex Bosire Moseti, 16, was allegedly found with three litres of petrol, a box of matches and a sweater that had been soaked in petrol with the intention of committing a felony, it is from this background as many schools prepare to close for December holidays thousands of parents across the country are deep in thought – soul searching.

Ends