Condemnation mounts over sodomy cover-up claims at Aquina’s High School Nairobi

Lobbyist and parents are up in arms over delayed probe into alleged sodomy cases at St Aquinas High School in Nairobi amid claims of cover-up by the management.

Human rights defenders and parents have now called upon the police to expeditiously undertake investigations that has stalled for more than a week now.

The appeal comes more than a week after a Form One student at the school was reportedly sodomised before he attempted suicide.

In a joint communique earlier today, the civil society demanded the stepping down of the Principal of St Aquinas School pending investigations on the alleged crime claiming that the school administration is trying to cover up and avoid taking responsibility over the incident.

Mary Kambo, an official form the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) said that a concerned parent called a teacher at St. Aquinas High School on February 3, 2022 inquiring about the well-being of her son and send pocket money through the teacher’s phone.

She added that the parent was informed that her son had been sent away from school due to school fees balance which baffled the parent as she had fully paid school fees for her son.

“She wondered why the school did not communicate to inform her that her son had been released from school and the reason for doing so. When her son arrived at home, he was pale, sickly, and weak and looked extremely stressed,” Kambo said.

The parent was alarmed when the victim asked her to transfer her from the school forcing her to inquire the reason behind it.

“On enquiring whether he was okay, the son became teary and begged the parent that he be transferred to another school.  He refused to eat stating that he did not have an appetite. On further inquiry, the son amidst tears wrote on a foolscap how he was sodomised at the school,” she said.

The school principal reportedly denied the assertions.

They urged the Office of the Directorate of Public Prosecution (ODPP) to institute proceedings to prosecute the perpetrators involved in the crime in accordance with the law.

Rosemary Kinuthia, Director African Boychild Network, said the incident was saddening pointing out that Sodomy cases continue to happen in many schools across the country.