Family of boy beaten over chapatis unable to clear hospital bill
Gremon Education Centre in Mombasa where a pupil was severely beaten for allegedly eating five extra chapatis. His family is now faced with a Sh300,000 hospital bill.
The family of Caleb Ngure, who was assaulted by his teachers for allegedly eating five extra chapatis is stuck at Coast General and Referral Hospital due to a Sh300,000 hospital bill.
The family is pleading for help as the boy continues to recuperate at the hospital since February.
The director of Gremon Education Centre in Mombasa and a Form Four student implicated in the alleged assault are currently locked up at the Shimo La Tewa Maximum Security Prison awaiting hearing of their case.
They have been detained until the minor's evidence is taken by the court.
“I need justice for my son. His life has been destroyed, his bill keeps pilling up and we don’t know how we will pay it up. I work as a driver for an agricultural firm while my wife is a housewife. My son is stranded at the hospital,” said the boy’s father, Mr Fred Ngure.
Operated on four times
Doctors say the minor suffered acute kidney and genitals injury as a result of the assault. The pupil was in the intensive care unit for 10 days, underwent eight dialysis sessions and has been operated on four times.
“He went to the theatre four times for surgery; my son is a warrior. He has survived. Finally, skin grafting was conducted and he is healing well. What’s worrying is us is the bill which keeps increasing. The National Health Insurance Fund has declined to offset the bill saying I hadn’t informed them immediately my son was admitted. But at that juncture, I was confused. I thought I was losing my son,” added the worried father.
Mr Ngure says his son is now learning to walk again.
“He is much better than he was in the two months he has been admitted to the hospital,” said Mr Ngure.
Uproar
The incident caused a huge uproar in the country forcing Education Cabinet Secretary Prof George Magoha to warn teachers and school heads against beating learners, saying it is a criminal offense.
“Nobody has a right to beat a child, including principals. The law still does not allow you to beat a child. That is a criminal act. Anybody who lifts his hand to beat a child under the current laws should be arrested by the police,” said Prof Magoha a few weeks ago.
The 13-year-old boy was allegedly beaten by the school director and a group of students for eating extra chapatis.
According to a police report, the school’s director identified as Nancy Gashewa is said to have beaten the boy and then left him in the dormitory where a Form Four student by the name Idd Salim assembled a group of other students who also continued beating the boy.
Witness statements
Police say witness statements gathered from the students indicate that those responsible tried to administer first aid by using warm water and hydrogen peroxide to clean the wounds. Caleb couldn't even walk or even eat as his condition deteriorated.
His mother, Agnes Mwangi, feared that her son will never be the same after suffering torture and psychological trauma at the institution.
However, Mombasa County government tasked psychologists to give psycho socio support to the boy and his parents.
Ministry of Education officials closed the primary section of the institution indefinitely, saying it had not been registered. The secondary section was later converted from a boarding facility to a day school as per orders from the ministry.
