In June, a court in Murang’a handed down a 30-year sentence to Edward Kamau, a primary school teacher found guilty of sexually molesting three boys aged nine, 12, and 15.
Resident Magistrate Amelia Awino found Kamau guilty of three counts. He was accused of touching the private parts of the three boys – offences committed between 18 and 19 October 2024 in the Gathama area of Murang’a County.
The victims recounted how the teacher lured them into his house where he instructed them to sit on his lap as they browsed his phone.
The boys claimed that the teacher then inserted his hand into their shorts, touching their private parts under the guise of checking whether “the seed” had descended from the stomach. The offence was allegedly committed multiple times.
In his defence, Kamau denied the charges, claiming they were fabricated by the mother of one of the victims following a dispute after he refused to give her firewood.
He further alleged that the involvement of the other children was orchestrated to strengthen the case against him.
In her ruling in June, Magistrate Awino found that the court was satisfied with the evidence and that the charges had been proven beyond reasonable doubt.
Days later, on July 15, the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) sent Peter Ayiro of Alliance Girls High School on compulsory leave over similar accusations.
Every year, thousands of learners suffer in silence as they are being abused by people who are supposed to protect them. Many cases are swept under the rug by institutions, parents, and even government agencies.
An analysis of TSC records shows that, of 470 teachers deregistered between 2018 and early 2025, 419 were men – pointing to the magnitude of a problem that remains difficult to tackle as most victims fear speaking out due to reprisals or stigma.
Disciplinary process
Most deregistered teachers faced sexual abuse allegations. For example, on June 27, 2024, a long-serving teacher’s attempt to overturn his dismissal for alleged misconduct involving a pupil was dismissed by the Employment and Labour Relations Court in Kakamega.
James Ateku Shianzwi, a teacher with 20 years of experience, had sued the Commission for wrongful dismissal and deregistration, claiming the case was fabricated by a fellow teacher out of malice. He denied any wrongdoing and argued that the disciplinary process was both substantively and procedurally unfair.
In his testimony, Ateku stated he was psychologically distressed and unaware he could apply for reinstatement after being struck off the register.
He admitted knowing the pupil involved, identified as EM, claiming she was a relative and that he had only visited her home to discuss a conspiracy against him. He denied taking her on outings or giving her money, insisting he was being framed by a colleague over a loan dispute.
However, the TSC presented evidence that the teacher had allegedly told the pupil he loved her, given her Sh2,400, and taken her on two outings to Yala Market where he bought her soda.
A statement by EM confirmed parts of this account, although she later denied a romantic relationship during Board of Management (BOM) hearings.
The court noted inconsistencies in Ateku’s defence, particularly regarding the claimed family relation. “If the pupil was indeed his niece, it was highly questionable that her grandmother, who was her caregiver, had no knowledge of that relationship,” stated Justice J.W. Keli.
Further, the court found that the teacher’s visit to the pupil’s home after the initial complaint amounted to an attempt to influence testimony.
Though a key witness statement from a teacher was expunged after it emerged she was deceased at the time, other testimonies including those of school heads, BOM members, and the pupil formed the basis of the court’s ruling.
Applying the standard of a “reasonable employer,” the court concluded that the TSC acted within its rights. “There was substantive fairness in the dismissal,” Justice Keli ruled, adding that although the teacher raised concerns about not receiving the review proceedings, this did not outweigh the evidence presented.
The claim was dismissed in its entirety, with no order as to costs.
In 2023, the Commission interdicted five teachers from Itumbe DOK Primary School in Kisii County for allegedly coercing six Grade Two pupils to perform an indecent act.
In letters addressed to Everlyne Moraa, Angelica Joseph, Catherine Mokaya, Moraa Nyairo and William Isuka, TSC said the teachers had been suspended immediately.
The sixth teacher, Gladys Kenyanya, was served with a show-cause letter to explain why she should not be deregistered over the incident.
The same year, Cedrick Wawire Egesa, a 30-year-old computer studies teacher, was sentenced to 20 years in prison by Makadara Principal Magistrate Hellen Onkwani after pleading guilty to defiling a 15-year-old student in a Nairobi school.
The crime, committed within a computer lab in Mukuru Kwa Njenga, drew sharp public criticism and renewed scrutiny of sexual misconduct in schools.
The case is among 1,228 instances where teachers have been dismissed by TSC for similar offenses since 2010.
Fair hearing
A report tabled before the Senate by then TSC Chief Executive Officer Nancy Macharia showed Kakamega, Kisii, and Homa Bay counties leading in reported teacher-related cases of teenage pregnancies.
Last October, National Assembly’s Public Petitions Committee upheld the dismissal and deregistration of Joseph Kimeli Chebii by the TSC, despite his 2018 acquittal in a defilement case.
Chebii, a former teacher in Marakwet West, was interdicted in 2014 and later dismissed after TSC disciplinary proceedings found him culpable of having carnal knowledge with a pupil.
Though a DNA test later proved he was not the father of the complainant’s child leading to his acquittal in court, TSC maintained that his dismissal followed due process, including a fair hearing, opportunity to appeal, and cross-examination rights.
Petitioning Parliament, Chebii alleged unfair treatment, citing flawed investigations, inconsistent charges, and denial of procedural rights. However, the committee, chaired by Mbithuka Mbai, found no grounds to overturn the decision, ruling that TSC followed the law and acted within its constitutional mandate.
While Parliament rejected his plea for reinstatement, it advised Chebii to formally reapply for registration under Section 31 of the TSC Act though he remains ineligible for re-employment by TSC.
Stakeholders are expressing deep concern about the frequent cases that expose troubling patterns of abuse, boundary violations, and failure of professional ethics in Kenyan schools.
Lugari MP Nabii Nabwera says cases of teachers preying on students is protected by a wall of silence built by fearful parents, complicit colleagues, and institutions more concerned with reputation than justice.
“For 25 years, things were happening in that school and we stayed silent. We are better at protecting the school’s name than the children in it. This isn’t just about Alliance. It’s happening across the country,” Nabwera said in reference to the Alliance Girls High School case.
The MP warned that such cases are widespread.
“If the parents can’t talk, the former girls can’t talk, the cooks can’t talk, and the teachers can’t talk…how do you expect a 12-year-old to say she was molested?” posed Nabwera.
According to the legislator, who is a member of the Education Committee, the culture of silence is enabling predators to thrive in Kenya’s education system.
“We have a moral crisis in our schools. If a teacher in such a big school can do that, what about the unguarded teachers in our village schools. The question is, where is the moral character of our teachers and society?” he added.
Despite trying to flex its muscle, TSC is under scrutiny over delays in handling teacher misconduct cases, with data showing that some educators spent years under interdiction before any final action is taken.
“We have teachers whose cases linger for years with no resolution. The psychological and financial toll is devastating,” said a senior union official who did not want to be identified.
Although 90 per cent of the incidents involve male teachers, female teachers have also found themselves axed by the TSC over sexual offenses with learners.
Ethical training
Due to the magnitude of the problem, the Kenya Women Teachers Association (KEWOTA) Chief Executive Officer Benter Opande is calling for policy reforms in the education sector.
“This trend is deeply troubling and demands serious reflection on recruitment, mentorship, and accountability mechanisms in our schools,” said Opande.
She emphasized the need for ethical training, mental health support, and continuous professional development particularly for male teachers who are the majority perpetrators.
“This isn’t about blaming men. It’s about protecting our children by building safe, nurturing environments,” she explained.
Former Kenya Secondary Schools Heads Association (Kessha) chair Kahi Indimuli believes introduction of chaplains and reinforced disciplinary structures can reduce cases of sexual violations.
“Chaplains provide spiritual and moral guidance. The schools at the administrative level have a full-fledged department of discipline, guidance, and counselling to both learners and staff,” opines Indimuli.
“Offences related to carnal knowledge attract summary dismissal from the Commission. The Boards of Management of some schools have put in place strict measures too, through their welfare and disciplinary committees to ensure such relationships do not arise,” he adds.
However, the Kenya Parents Association chairman Silas Obuhatsa attributes the problem to poverty, which he says exposes girls to sexual exploitation.
“The girl child, due to inability to meet needs such as sanitary towels, may fall into such traps. We have tried to find ways as parents to urge the government to provide basic needs for our girls to keep them away from those who prey on them,” says Obuhatsa.
The magnitude of learner-teacher sex relations was revealed on June 22, 2023 when the TSC announced that 1,228 teachers had been dismissed from service since 2010.
Tabling a report on teenage pregnancies before the Senate Education Committee chaired by then Bomet Senator Christopher Langat, TSC said Kakamega County was leading in the prevalence with 88 girls being victims followed by Kisii at 61 and Homa Bay which had 60 reported cases.
In a 2010 circular, TSC outlined what constitutes a sexual offense.
The Commission defined sexual abuse by a teacher as any activity that includes sexual intercourse, touching a student in a sexual nature, use of suggestive language or gestures, any form of inducement, threats, or violence to force them to give in to demands for sex or exposing them to pornographic material with or without their consent.
The TSC says any form of sexual misconduct, including suggestive gestures, coercion, or boundary violations, warrants summary dismissal.
Conviction of a sexual offense not only results in dismissal and de-registration from TSC but also places the individual in a permanent criminal registry maintained by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI).
This makes it impossible for the offender to receive a certificate of good conduct, effectively barring them from future employment.
Furthermore, under Section 26 of the Sexual Offences Act, if the teacher transmitted a sexually transmitted infection during the offense, they could face 15 years to life in prison.
If they used intoxicants or stupefying substances to lure learners as alleged in the Alliance Girls case, they could face an additional 10-year minimum sentence.