A 56-year-old teacher has been sentenced to serve a total of 30 years’ jail term by a Murang’a court after he was found guilty of committing indecent acts with three boys aged between nine and 15 years.

Resident Magistrate Amelia Awino found Edward Kamau guilty of three counts where he was charged with touching private parts of the boys aged 9, 12 and 15 years on October 18 and October 19, 2024, at Gathama area of Murang’a county.

According to the victims, the teacher ordered them to visit his house after church, where the accused instructed them to sit on his lap as they browsed his phone.

In their statement, the boys said the teacher took the opportunity and inserted his hand in their shorts and touched their private parts claiming to check if the ‘seeds’ were out of the stomach.

The victims told the court that the offence occurred multiple times. One of the boy’s parents was tipped off by his neighbour and interrogated her son. After confirming the incident, she reported the matter at Nyakihai Police Post.

In his defence, Kamau dismissed the charges saying the mother of one of the victims fabricated the accusations due to a dispute after he refused to give her firewood. He further alleged that the other children’s involvement was to strengthen the case against him.

In her ruling the magistrate said the court was satisfied with the evidence presented by the prosecution, and the charges against Kamau have been proven beyond a reasonable doubt. A probation report presented by probation officer John Mbugua described Kamau as a first-time offender but not well-known in the community, having lived there for less than 20 years.

Mbugua deemed the accused as a threat to society, unsuitable for a non-custodial sentence. The report referenced the area chief’s concerns about rampant similar cases, noting that releasing Kamau would send the wrong message to the community, implying such offences could go unpunished.

The probation report also emphasised the need to protect the minor victims from further sexual abuse.

In his mitigation, Kamau pleaded for leniency, citing his status as a first-time offender and his wife’s illness and unknown whereabouts, as she had not appeared in court. He requested a non-custodial sentence to resume his life.

“Based on the nature of the offences, the vulnerability of the victims and the psychological impact of the threats made to them, I find the offender unsuitable for a non-custodial sentence,” the magistrate ruled saying a custodial sentence will address the severity of the matter.

Kamau was sentenced to a total of 30 years in prison, with 10 years handed for each count. The sentences are to run consecutively. However, the total sentence will be reduced by the number of days he has spent in remand.

• A Tell Media / KNA report / By Bernard Munyao and Susan Muigai