By Kamundia Muriithi
Five students from Kerugoya Girls Secondary School who were charged with arson were on Wednesday released on Sh200, 000 bond each and sureties of the same amount.
Kerugoya Chief Magistrate Alex Ithuku also directed that the students who are aged between 16 and 18 could still be released on Sh50, 000 cash in lieu of the hefty bond.
The girls were alleged to have committed the act on 25Th November within the school compound by setting one of the dormitories on fire. The value of the damage is yet to be established.
The suspects denied the charges in court.
A probation officer assigned to examine their girls’ social status reported to the court that two of the students were in school courtesy of fees paid by their respective Constituency Development Fund (CDF).
The prosecution led by State Counsel Beatrice Muthoni had earlier asked the court to impose hefty bond condition with similar sureties to ensure the accused did not abscond court attendance.
The case will be mentioned on 2Nd December at Kerugoya’s court 4 for pre-trial.
Kerugoya Girls High School was closed indefinitely following the Sunday fire incident.
42 students had been rushed to the Kerugoya Referral Hospital after inhaling smoke from the burning dormitory as they rushed to salvage their belongings. The girls were later discharged from hospital.
The school has over 1200 students, all of them being boarders who are said to have been attending prayers after taking supper at 6 pm when the fire started at the dormitory.
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