Human rights defenders and parents have demanded a probe into alleged cases of sodomy at Aquinas High School in Nairobi.
They want the principal to step down pending investigations into the matter even as they accused the school administration of trying to cover up and avoid taking responsibility for the incidents.
Cases of sodomy at the school came to light last week after it emerged that a Form One student was sexually assaulted before he attempted suicide.
Mary Kambo of the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) says the boy’s parent called a teacher at the school on February 3rd to enquire about his well-being and send some pocket money. The parent was informed that her son was sent away from school due to fee arrears, which baffled the parent given that she had paid off fees in full.
“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.
When the parent enquired 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 sodomized at the school,” Kambo said.
The principal denied the happening of such acts in the school, but could not explain why he sent the son home. “Shortly after, the principal sent messages to parents indicating that this information that was doing rounds on social media was untrue and a rumor,” the rights defenders said.
They claim that no action has been taken against the culprit who sodomized the victim.
“We are concerned that minors are being subjected to such kind of humiliation, shame and pain that may affect them for the rest of their lives,” they added.
What happened to this boy…
What happened to this boy was rape. Homosexuality and rape are two different things and are not interchangeable. Magoha should be educated on both as he has decided to hang his PhD somewhere ikauke.
You are right@ Mugikuyu…
You are right@ Mugikuyu.Sodomy and homosexuality are also not the same and one thingI would not say that they are mutually exclusive because a homo can sodomize ,and rape.
“I said if you are a…
“I said if you are a homosexual in a boarding school and you are hopping from a bed of another student to another, your rights end there.”
“You can be a good homosexual who does not disturb anybody you go and do your thing when you are out of school.” (Magoha, G. 02/14/2022).
I went to a boys boarding…
I went to a boys boarding school in the early 90’s and sodomy was very present to a point where the headmaster addressed it during parade several times. Thinking back, its probably a bad idea to have teenage boys ‘locked’ up in a school for up to 4 months at a time. This is the period when hormones are raging for these kids who do not really know how to respond or control themselves. On top of this, there are a lot of drugs in boarding schools which just make matter worse.
@ Kwetu Kenya,I went to a…
@ Kwetu Kenya,I went to a day school in Nairobi,but had alot of friends in boarding schools,Including relatives,but I never had any stories such as what you are mentioning come from their mouths.This is not to deny what you are saying. If homosexuality ,and sodomy exist in our society I would thing that it is statistically evenly distributed.Meaning that it would exist not only in boarding schools.It would be in churches, bars,work places.You get my drift…as Iam sure it is…
I have always wondered why it is a taboo to talk about sex,and yet it is an inevitable factor and core part of humanity. We need to talk about sex,and sexuality in a scientific way.Hopefully that would take off some of the shame attached to it…
And no Iam not saying that it would solve sexual crimes,but cernainly education in that department would go along way in helping human beings, especially the young ones channel it in the right,and socially approved manner…
There was another reason…
There was another reason Lenana was known as “changes” back in the day and it’s the same as the one in the aforementioned school. I knew about the bullying at Lenana before completing primary school and found out about the horrors visited upon some boys at there while I was in secondary. I was terrified of going to Lenana so I went to a secondary school where any form of bullying resulted in immediate expulsion school fees would not be refunded. This approach tends to keep students safe from predators in most schools. As for sex, it never helped when adults called it “waganu” when discussing anything sexual. Prohibited things tend to become that much more enticing.
Wow,I wonder why what you…
Wow,I wonder why what you are saying never hit the headlines…
I am sure shame,and turning ablind eye had alot to do with this.I just cannot understand why someone would use sodomy as a tool for bullying…Anyway,as you pointed out apparently it happens alot.
Do women in boarding schools fair any better? Or are they less “evil”
The principal should not…
The principal should not have denied before conducting a thorough investigation! He shot his own foot right there.