BY OANGA OYUGI
The fate of a 13- year-old school girl joining form one in August hangs in balance after police searching for illicit brews chang’aa and kangara allegedly stormed their house and took away Sh47,000 and some other items.
The student Milkah Kwamboka Okong’o, a total orphan who is set to join form one at Itierio Girls High School in Kisii county after scoring 287 marks from Riamiruka Academy, was allegedly harassed and manhandled by police officers from Kiogoro police patrol base who planted 30 litres of chang’aa on her before she was charged in court.
The court was taken aback as the charge sheet indicated her age to be18 years but the medical report indicated thirteen years while a representative of the Kenya National Human Rights Commission informed the court that there existed no such brews in the said homestead.
“They came in a Pro-box with others accompanying them on five boda bodas and found us sitting outside the house with two of my cousins Mishel and Desmond where they started breaking doors from the sitting room ,kitchen and bedroom only to turn back to us after they missed what they were looking for,” said Milkah.
According to her birth certificate which has the names of her grand father Handson Okong’o and grand mother Janes Nyabonyi Okong’o since her mother Jackline died long ago when she was an infant, Milkah was born on August 7th, 2008 in Nyamondo sub-location, South Mugirango constituency.
She has since been staying with her aunt Roseline Okong’o who has been undertaking all the responsibilities where she has become part of her children.
Roseline who was accompanied by Elijah Anyona from the Kenya Human Rights Commission said that the officers who did not find her at home during the time of the raid passed through the ceiling before reaching the bedroom where they managed to get the cash which was in a bag.
She explained that having been satisfied with the exemplary performance of Milkah in her Kenya Certificate of Primary Education national examinations, she convinced her members in a merry-go-round to accorded her the first opportunity to qualify for the contribution.
She alleged that the officers brought 20 litres of kangara and 10 litres of chang’aa which they had in the vehicle and forced them to sit down and took photos of them before arresting her and young Desmond aged about two years and locked us in the police cells.
Milkah was arraigned in court charged with being in possession of 30 litres of chang’aa where they indicated her age to be 18 years but a medical report confirmed her to be 13 years old. Kisii senior principal magistrate S.K. Lutta acquitted her of the offense.
Her aunt was looking for assistance from good Samaritans to enable the young girl continue with her education as per to her dreams.
