A Director at a children's home in Kayole Estate, Nairobi, has been accused of molesting and mistreating boys and girls in the institution.
Duncan Odhiambo, who is the head of the Canadian sponsored home, allegedly cohabited with a Form three girl for several months till July when he was reported to the police.
Speaking to her former school principal at Kayole South Secondary, the girl admitted to sleeping with Mr Odhiambo severally but strongly refused to be examined by a government doctor.
Another incident narrated by one of the minors in The House Peace Children's Home, involved a standard six girl who escaped from the home in March this year, after the Director's brother locked her in his room for more than two hours only to exit with a Sh50 note.
“As she left the house, we asked her what was wrong. She said that suspect's brother had given her Sh50. We asked her what he had done to her and she started crying, saying she was leaving,” one of the minors told Nairobi News.
In a different case, another boy allegedly left the home on Sunday after being beaten more than 50 times with a plastic pipe for supposedly stealing a memory card.
Mr Odhiambo is accused of randomly beating children and punishing them when he is in a bad mood.
“Once he beats up the kids, they don’t eat — all in the name of punishment. You can get kids spending the whole night washing the building or doing something else. They are not given food. A child will go to school without eating anything,” said a volunteer at the institution.
The actions by the Director contravene the Children's Act which states that it is a crime to subject children in charitable institutions to corporal punishment.
The home which was began in 2007 by the mother of the accused, was ordered to close down in August after it failed to meet the requirements for registration. However, this is yet to happen.
Attempts by Kenyans.co.ke to reach Mr Odhiambo proved futile as calls went unanswered.
