Principal assaults boy for speaking Swahili

By Mangoa Mosota

KERICHO, KENYA: A 15-year-old student at a private secondary school in Kericho County was beaten and injured for speaking Kiswahili, a forbidden language in the institution.

In the Friday incident, the principal meted out the corporal punishment on the student after the latter reportedly lost a disk (a wooden banner given to students who speak Swahili as part of the punishment). The victim is said to have lost the piece of wood two weeks ago.

The student, name withheld, sustained bruises on his back after he was beaten severally with a pipe. He said the school’s principal called a number of students to his office over the missing disk.  “The head teacher summoned three students over the issue. He later told them to leave. Shortly afterwards, he told me to lie down and started beating me,” recalled the student.

In pain

He added: “He also punched me on the head many times, after which he told me to make a new disk.”  The victim went ahead to make the gadget and later informed the principal that he was in a lot of pain.

The administrator gave the student some painkillers. “I later took my caution money (Sh500) from the bursar and left for home.” His grandfather took him to Kericho District Hospital. On Sunday, a teacher at the school said he was remorseful over the assault. “I am very sorry and it should not have happened. We are solving the issue internally,” he told The Standard.

He referred The Standard to the institution’s director for further queries concerning the incident, but attempts to reach him via phone were futile.The victim’s father said it was wrong for students to be punished for speaking a national language.

The incident was reported at Nyagacho Police Station and the guardian issued with a P3 form.