Three students of Karima Boys High School in Nyeri were Monday
charged before an Othaya court with attempted arson on one of the
school’s dormitories.
The Form Two boys allegedly
wanted to set on fire a Form Four dormitory, named after former
President Mwai Kibaki, in an apparent bid to demand an early mid-term
break.
The three reportedly sneaked out of school and went to Othaya Town and bought three litres of petrol.
According
to the school’s deputy principal Mr Ndung’u, who was in the school at
the time of the boys’ arrest, the students sneaked out of school during
the return of students who had attended a contest in Thika.
“We
had students attending a contest in Thika so when they returned there
was some confusion which gave them the chance to leave the school,” he
said.
The students’ plan to burn the dormitory
accommodating 126 students was thwarted after the motorbike rider whom
they had hired to transport them tipped off the police and the school’s
deputy principal.
Mr Ndung’u said he, together with the
police, interrogated the minors for information on where they had
hidden the petrol before being arrested and taken to Othaya Police
Station.
He noted that the Form Two students had
attempted to disrupt a parents meeting held last month but disciplinary
action had been taken.
The students pleaded not guilty
before Resident Magistrate Raymond Kibet and were released on a
Sh100,000 bond each with a surety of a similar amount.
In case they are unable to raise the bond, they would be remanded in juvenile remand.
The magistrate gave police 14 days to conduct investigations and present the facts of the case in court on June 25, 2015.
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