St Bakhita School Under Legal Fire for Failing to Protect Minor Student

Court case highlights growing concerns over corporal punishment and student safety in Kenyan schools

A prestigious Nairobi school is facing legal action after a student was allegedly injured by a teacher, raising fresh questions about child protection measures in Kenya’s education system.

St Bakhita School, along with its board of directors and senior staff, has been sued by the parents of a minor student who claims she was physically assaulted by her Kiswahili teacher in March this year.

The lawsuit, filed through the student’s father identified as Mr G.O., alleges that teacher Fredrick Manyasa deliberately pinched the minor’s ear on March 19, 2025, causing both physical injury and psychological trauma.

According to court documents, the incident has left the young student “visibly traumatised, scared, withdrawn” and prone to uncontrollable crying whenever school is mentioned. The severity of the psychological impact has forced the family to seek a school transfer and ongoing counselling services.

“The plaintiff avers that the minor was and is visibly traumatised, scared, withdrawn and cries uncontrollably anytime someone mentions to her anything to do with school,” the father stated in his court filing.

The lawsuit names several defendants including St Bakhita School, the school’s board of directors, Chief Principal James Ogweno and Teacher Fredrick Manyasa

The family argues that the school failed in its fundamental duty of care to protect the student and maintain a child-friendly learning environment. They claim the institution violated the minor’s constitutional rights, including freedom from torture and inhuman or degrading treatment.

Graphic photo showing the injuries inflicted on the victim.

Mr G.O. described the teacher’s actions as a “deliberate attack intended to inflict harm on the minor,” arguing that both the physical assault and the school’s failure to prevent it constitute serious breaches of the student’s rights.

The lawsuit seeks both general and special damages, including Sh18,618 already spent on medical treatment and counselling.

The family is also demanding that the school cover all future medical expenses until the child makes a full recovery.

Regular counselling sessions have become necessary for the student’s emotional wellbeing, representing an ongoing cost and disruption to the family’s life.

St Bakhita School has offered to provide counselling and supportive care for the affected student at no cost to the family.

The school described this as “a voluntary initiative designed to support the minor’s emotional well-being” and help the student process her feelings about the incident.

However, this offer appears to have been insufficient to prevent the legal action, with the family proceeding to court seeking broader accountability and compensation.

The case is scheduled for mention on June 17, 2025, when the court will provide directions for how the matter will proceed.