Two students at Singore girls secondary school have been detained at Iten police station after one was charged with attempting to burn the school, while the other was in possession of 6 rolls of bhang worth Sh.300.
The first one was charged that on January 27, this year at Singore girls’ high school in Keiyo North Sub County, she willfully and unlawfully attempted to set fire to a school dormitory called Annex 11 property of the said school.
Before senior principal magistrate Charles Kutwa, the accused faced a second count of malicious damage to property as the fire destroyed assorted beddings belonging to other students valued at Sh. 5,305.
The prosecutor, Jackline Kiptoo told the court that on the material day, all the students who were preparing for an exam had gone for morning studies when at 5.25 am the teacher on duty heard them shouting that there was a fire in the school.
“The teacher on duty rushed out and found Annex 11 dormitory on fire and assisted by others, managed to put off the fire,” she told the court.
The prosecutor continued that the matter was reported at the Iten police station and after investigations, the accused was found to be the culprit after a matchbox, bhang and cigarretes were recovered from her box after which she was arrested and charged.
“It was alleged that the accused was smoking bhang when she threw the roll of bhang on the bed which led to the fire which burned other students’ beddings,” the court heard.
The court ordered that the accused who pleaded guilty be detained at the Iten police station and also be taken for age assessment test. In mitigation she pleaded for forgiveness from the court.
The other student was charged that on January 24th at Singore girls’ high school in Keiyo North Sub County she was found with 6 rolls of bhang with a street value of Sh.300.
The court was told that the accused had approached one of the students at around 9.20am to conceal some items in her box after she got information that the teachers would conduct an inspection at the dormitory.
“At around 7pm one of the students went to the toilet and found the accused smoking and reported the matter to the school authorities who after a search found her in possession of bhang.
The accused was also detained at the Iten police station awaiting the probation report. A request by the probation officer to be given one week to present the report was rejected by the court and instead the court ordered the report be presented on February 4th when both cases will be mentioned.
by Alice Wanjiru
