Police in Keroka are holding a man in connection with the defilement case of a 14-year-old schoolgirl in Nyamira County.
According reports from the residents, the minor had been involved in an illicit relationship with a matatu tout who operates along the Masimba–Keroka route, after he lured her with money to become his lover.
Trouble began when the girl skipped school and stayed at home, then sneaked off to Keroka one afternoon to meet her secret lover.
“We suspected the affair and laid a trap,” said a bodaboda rider.
They went to the suspect’s friend’s house but found that the main suspect had fled, leaving the girl behind. It is alleged that the friend also took advantage of the situation and continued defiling the girl.
They alerted the police, who arrested the second suspect to record a statement and assist in tracking down his accomplice.
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Keroka Police Commander Robert Ndambiri confirmed the arrest and commended the public for their role in helping curb crime in the area.
In another incident, at Nyabite Estate on the outskirts of Nyamira town, residents raised concerns about a man who had turned his relative’s daughter into a maid, tasking her with caring for his young children at the expense of her education.
It is reported that the grade seven pupil, was brought to the home to spend the half-term break because her mother was missing from home
When she asked to return home to prepare for school after the half-term break, the man refused, allegedly intending to marry her off to his only son, who is in university.
When Education News visited the home, they found the girl under the care of Nyumba Kumi elders, who were seeking assistance from the area chief for further legal action.
Efforts to reach the Nyamira County Director of Education for comment were unsuccessful, as multiple phone calls went unanswered.
By Enock Okongo
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