Ichuni Girls principal from Kisii County is accused of confining students to cells she set up in the school. Some of her student victims claim to have been detained for days without a bath and with only breakfast and super a day.
A parent with a child at St Charles Lwanga Ichuni Girls Secondary School said that students who fell foul with the headteacher were locked up in the cells, sometimes for up to two weeks.
One of the cells has been named “Higher Chamber” and is used to detain girls who have committed offences deemed to be serious, such as failing examinations or buying sweets from across the school fence.
“Here, students can be stripped and water poured on the ground with the students being forced to sleep on the ground,” said the parent who requested not to be identified to save her child from victimisation.
“My daughter, who has undergone the inhumane treatment in the cells, tells me that they were being provided with meals twice a day; breakfast at 9am and dinner at 10pm.”
Up to nine students, the parent said, were being forced to share a mattress, meaning that those who failed to find space would sleep on the cold floor overnight.
“They are not allowed to shower,” the father said. “They are not allowed to go out except once at 10pm for long calls and then they are herded back.”
According to her, the “offenders” use paint cans the rest of the time.
In one instance, a student in detention developed an asthmatic attack.
“Those inside the cell had to bang the door forcing the night guard to intervene,” he said.
After the students have served time, their parents are required to send six bags of cement to the school as part of the punishment.
