NAIROBI, Kenya, Aug 14— A primary school teacher in Kilifi County has been sentenced to 10 years in prison after a court found him guilty of abusing his position of authority to pursue a sexual relationship with a pupil.
Senior Resident Magistrate Ivy D. Wasike convicted the teacher of abuse of position of authority contrary to Section 24(4) of the Sexual Offences Act, following a trial in which the prosecution called six witnesses.
The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions(ODPP) said the witnesses included the pupil, her mother, the school head teacher, an area assistant chief and a clinical officer.
“Upon review of the evidence, Senior Resident Magistrate Hon. Ivy D. Wasike convicted the accused of abuse of position of authority contrary to Section 24(4) of the Sexual Offences Act,” ODPP said.
The court heard that the teacher committed the offence on October 21, 2021, at about 6pm in Ganze Sub-County, Kilifi, after allegedly taking advantage of his position of trust over the pupil.
The case came to light after an informer overheard pupils discussing the teacher’s alleged relationship with the girl and alerted another teacher at the school.
The pupil was subsequently questioned in a school sitting, where she confirmed the allegations.
She told the court that the teacher had earlier written her a love letter before taking her to a bush where he attempted to have sexual intercourse with her.
Principal Prosecution Counsel Nancy Njeru urged the court to impose a deterrent sentence, arguing that the teacher was expected to protect and guide the pupil rather than exploit her vulnerability.
In mitigation, the teacher pleaded for leniency, saying he had a family that depended on him and that he did not know how they were coping with his imprisonment.
But Magistrate Wasike noted that the case was not an isolated incident in Ganze, where some teachers had allegedly taken advantage of vulnerable pupils and escaped accountability despite abusing positions of trust.
The magistrate commended the school’s head teacher for ensuring that the allegations were reported and pursued instead of being concealed.
“The teacher’s record was forwarded to the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) through the country Director of Education,” ODPP said.
He has been granted 14 days to appeal against both his conviction and sentence.
