By Gabriel Somba
Two Nairobi school’s staff – a driver and a teacher have been charged with negligence of duty after allegedly failing to prevent a five year old child from jumping out of a moving school van.
The five year old girl sustained serious injuries after falling off the school van while headed home.
And the school’s driver Stafford Otendo together with a teacher, Joan Okumu who is in charge of transport at the school and who was in the van when the incident occurred are accused of committing a negligent act causing harm contrary to section 244 of the Penal Code.
They are separately charged with unlawfully failing to supervise children in a moving motor vehicle which was their duty in Njiru Sub County on July 23.
They denied the charges before Senior Resident Magistrate Stephanie Bett of Makadara Law courts.
They were released on a cash bail of Sh10, 000 each to await trial expected to start after a mention scheduled for October 7.
The office of Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) wants to prove to the court that the two’s negligence led to injuries sustained by the female child identified as SAM in court.
The child fell from the school van while heading home and sustained injuries. She was rushed to a la hospital local clinic before being transferred to Mama Lucy Kibaki Hospital in Embakasi, Nairobi.
The medics also investigated whether the child had been sexually assaulted which they ruled out.
The minor had to undergo a minor surgery during the treatment and is still recovering from the injuries.
The matter was later reported to police and the two who were identified as responsible for the alleged negligence were arrested for prosecution.
Police officers visited the minor in the hospital severally during the investigations into the incident
They are being blamed because they are trusted with the responsibility of ensuring the safety of the children in the vehicle which they are accused of abdicating.
