Boda-boda riders arrested on suspicion of defiling pupils

Two boda-boda riders accused of defiling two primary school pupils in Homa Bay County after luring them to a rental house in Asego sub-location have been arrested.

Asego Sub-location Assistant Chief Tom Ondiek took the two suspects into custody after residents alerted him of the incident at Simnya market.

One of the girls is a Kenya Certificate of Primary Education candidate while the other is a Standard Seven pupil.

The boda-boda riders are suspected to have been sexually abusing the pupils for the last three days after locking them in the house.

Neighbours alerted the chief of the girls' presence in the house on Friday.

"The girls have been hiding in the house from Friday. We got suspicious and alerted the authorities about the matter," a neighbour said.

Mr Ondiek said he arrived at the house at 4am on Monday and found the girls in the room together with the riders.

Minors' safety 

"I acted on a tip off from concerned members of the public who were worried about the safety of the minors. I got to the house very early in the morning before the riders left for work and arrested them," said the administrator.

The girls were then rushed to the County Referral Hospital for medical checkup.

Homa Bay Children Officer Joseph Otieno said he had been informed about the incident and will follow it up in court.

"The chief briefed me about the arrest he made and the condition of the children. The suspects will be arraigned once investigations are complete," he said.

Mr Otieno warned that his office will take action against parents of the girls if they are found to have been negligent.

The parents have been summoned to record a statement.