By Enock Okong’o
The police in Kisii County have arrested an elderly man for allegedly cohabiting with a Standard Eight school girl.
Hell broke loose when the parents of the minor received word from the girl’s head teacher that she was missing at school as her colleagues prepare for the forthcoming Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) examination.
They alerted Bomobea village headman, Charles Ogeto who with the help of community policing groups launched a manhunt for the man.
They found the girl in the house of the man where she had stayed as his wife for two weeks.
Irate villagers attempted to lynch the 60-year-old man but were restrained by the area chief.
“I stopped the irate crowd from lynching him and ordered them to hand the suspect over to the police for the law to take its course,” confirmed the chief.
The man was taken to Nyamasibi Police station where he recorded a statement and was detained to assist in further investigations.
“We confined him to also protect him from harm from the public before he is arraigned in court,” said Police Officer Jackson Chacha.
The minor was taken to Kisii Teaching and Referral Hospital for examination and treatment.
“The child was found to have indulged in premarital sex. She will need guidance and counseling after this,” said Kisii Medical Officer Dr. Enock Ondari.
The incident came barely two days after a Grade 4 school boy allegedly committed suicide at Kiogoro village in Nyaribari Chache constituency.
The deceased, Brian Monyoro was a pupil at Nyaura Primary school.
According to his mother, the boy had never shown any sign of sadness before he was found hanging from their kitchen ceiling.
The body was taken to Kisii Teaching and Referral Hospital Mortuary awaiting postmortem.
Following the incidents, Kisii County Director of Education Pius Ngoma called on parents to take care of their children especially during the coming long holiday.
He noted that young people were vulnerable to many vices such as drug abuse, bad company and premarital sex.
Mr. Ngoma asked teachers and parents to design programmes that will involve their active minds and deter them from indulging the heinous activities.
