Nine learners from various primary and secondary schools in Matete district, Kakamega County were arraigned in a Malava court on Tuesday where they were charged with unlawfully visiting entertainment joints and watching video films instead of going to school.
Appearing before Butali Law Court Resident Magistrate, Tony Kwambai, were students from Lwandeti, Friends Silungai, St. Mukasa Chimoi, and Tombo secondary schools and pupils of Lunyu primary schools aged between 15 and 17 years.
After listening to both the prosecution and Lugari Sub County Children Officer, Mr. Maurice Okiru, the magistrate, in his ruling, directed that eight of the suspects be remanded at Kakamega juvenile remand until Monday 12th October, 2015 when their case will be mentioned and heard.
This was after the children’s officer appealed to the court to give him time to get more details concerning the juveniles.
One of the suspects, whom the court was told was this year’s KCSE candidate, was however set free and ordered back to school.
But the court instructed the children’s officer to keep watch of the student for next six months and also present his report in court on Monday.
Speaking to Westfm after the ruling, Okiru urged parents to play significant roles towards shaping their children’s morals and general discipline.
“It’s disturbing to note that many parents have simply abdicated to nobody the role of molding and guiding children into morally upright individuals,” said Okiru who asked parents to develop habits of sparing adequate time for their children in order for them to identify any out of the norm behaves and correct the same.
A section of parents who spoke to www.westfm.co.ke blamed banishment of corporal punishment in schools for the rise in indiscipline cases among learners across the country.
The parents now want the national government through the Ministry of Education to rescind the decision against corporal punishment.
