After being caught red-handed defiling a grade 7 pupil in a maize plantation, a junior secondary school teacher, Eric Rotich (38), spent his weekend in custody.
Members of the public discovered Rotich engaging in the heinous act and swiftly intervened, rescuing the distressed girl from his clutches in the maize farm.
Rotich had ambushed the pupil as she was making her way home with maize flour from a nearby posho mill, leaving his motorcycle parked by the roadside.
A Kenyan local news outlet, The Star, reported on Sunday that the girl’s cries for help drew the attention of passersby, who rushed to her aid in the maize farm.
Confirming the teacher’s arrest, Mohammed Jireh, the Tindiret sub-county police commander, stated that the suspect would face legal consequences.
“The victim has been taken to the Meteitei sub-district hospital for treatment and further investigation. This is a grave matter, and the suspect will be held accountable under the law,” Jireh remarked.
William Lulei, the Chief of Soba location, shared that concerned members of the public handed over the suspect and the victim to him.
They were subsequently taken to Songhor police station, where the teacher is expected to appear in the Maraba law courts in Tinderet.
Rotich works as a teacher at Sigoria Junior Secondary School, while the victim is a pupil at a neighboring junior secondary school.
Lulei disclosed that the teacher narrowly escaped the fury of the public, as he was shielded by police officers who arrived at the scene just in time, responding to his summons.
Tinderet sub-county has the lowest transition rate for girls among the six Nandi sub-counties, largely due to early marriages and school dropouts resulting from early pregnancies.
Chalan Foundation, an NGO operating in the area, aims to support young mothers in returning to school.
The foundation highlighted that many school-going girls become victims of defilement, with incidents often going unreported.
