A Catholic brother, found in possession of 13 minors in Kenya without proper documentation has been detained for 10 days pending investigations.
John Boniface was detained by Kibera senior resident magistrate William Tulel after the police filed a miscellaneous application in court seeking his detention.
He will spend the 10 days at the Kabete police station, the court directed.
The court heard that the respondent was arrested after the police officers on patrol got some tip-offs from members of the public that he was taking care of some minors and proceeded to question him on the same.
The minors were drawn from various parts of the country and he had offered to support their education alongside their other basic needs.
“On visiting the rental house in Uthiru 87 area, the officers found 13 children aged between 7 and 16 years; 9 boys and 4 girls,” the prosecution told the court.
The officer, attached to Kabete police station informed the court that upon interrogating the respondent, they realized that he didn’t have a children’s home as per the law and they proceeded to arrest him.
“The suspect was apprehended on the night of October 21 and 22 October 2022 and booked vide Ob number 02/22/10/2022 and the matter is now under investigation,” the prosecution said.
He urged the court to grant him 10 days to allow him to record more statements, trace the parents of the minors as they came from different parts of the country, establish whether the premises is licensed by the children’s department, take the rescued children to medical assessment and get children’s office report.
The accused in his application told the court that he was ready to remain in custody for the investigations to be conducted.
If found guilty, he may be charged with criminal charges. If found innocent he will be set free.
