Police arrest teachers, students found drinking changaa in bus

Police in Thika have arrested six students and three teachers of a Nairobi school after allegedly finding them drunk and in possession of illicit brew.

The students and teachers of Mwangaza Mixed Secondary School in Kariobangi were found in a Githurai-bound bus with several bottles of wines and spirits and more than ten litres of chang’aa packed in polythene bags and a five-litre jerry can.

Eyewitnesses told Citizen Digital that some students were found engaging in sexual activities, with one girl found completely naked.

“One of the girls was found completely naked in the bus,” said a source that did not want to be identified.

The students were allegedly mixing the illicit alcohol with Malta Guinness drinks to disguise their drinks.

The bus was stopped after police noted some funny activities as it was heading towards Thika Town. Police told Citizen Digital that the bus had loud music and a number of students were dancing and holding each other while sipping their drinks on the aisle.

The bus was also allegedly ferrying excess passengers, a matter that led to the arrest of the driver and conductor. The two are being held at the Weiteithie Police Station awaiting arraignment in court.

However, some of the students denied the allegations saying they had been drinking Malta Guinness which smells like alcohol, although a spot check by Citizen Digital revealed that some of the students seemed drunk.

“We were heading to Ol Donyo Sabuk for a school trip. There were some of us who were standing in the bus and had Malta (Guinness), which smelled like alcohol,” said one student.

One of the girls who did not want to be identified for fear of the consequences claimed that some of her colleagues had alcohol and drugs.

Thika OCPD Erastus Muthamia confirmed the incident and said police have launched investigations into the matter.

The students and teachers are being held at Weiteithie Police Station as investigations continue.

Meanwhile, 37 boys from Kiamutua Boys Day and Boarding Secondary School in Gatundu South, Kiambu County are missing after property worth thousands of shillings destroyed during an apparent strike.

The incident began when the more than 60 boarding students came out of their dormitories at night, switched off the lights and started throwing stones at water tanks, roofs and windows causing massive destruction of property.

Neighbours and watchmen informed police from Gatundu Police Station who responded quickly and arrested the situation.

This comes only two days after five students from Muhoho Boys High School were arraigned in court with arson charges.

This is a recent case in a spate of school unrest that is currently facing the country.

So far 22 students have been arrested over arson charges, with tens of schools being destroyed, mainly by fire, as students in all parts of the country protest various issues in their institutions.

Last week the government formed an eight-member Special Investigations Team to ‘vigorously comb the areas affected by incidents of school unrest’.

The team began working on Wednesday and will submit a findings report to the Ministry of Education and the Interior Ministry within 30 days.

The team has membership drawn from the two ministries.

“The report should clearly outline measures to be taken to forestall future cases of unrest and also spell out individuals/parties that will be held responsible for the school fires, including through prosecution and surcharging of suspects,” read a statement signed by Cabinet Secretaries Fred Matiang’i (Education) and Joseph Nkaissery (Interior).

Additional reporting by Kilango Francis