Police to rely on CCTV footages to arrest students played key roles in school fires

By , K24 Digital
On Fri, 12 Nov, 2021 12:29 | 2 mins read
Inspector General of Police Hillary Mutyambai. PHOTO/Courtesy
Inspector General of Police Hillary Mutyambai. PHOTO/Courtesy

Police officers will fully rely on CCTV footages to nab students who were actively involved in the recent wave of secondary school fires.

In a statement by Inspector General Hillary Mutyambai, the police boss stated that time for accountability had kicked off and that officers were gathering evidence before they could take any action.

Terming the burning of schools as immoral and illegal, Mutyambai said that it was time for those who were involved in this to pay for their evils.

“With professionalism, police all over the country are piecing together evidence, establishing criminal networks, and assigning culpability. For those who thought they were invisible, evidence is soon catching up with you, if not already,” Mutyambai said in the statement published on the Kenya Police Service website.

He revealed that the process of calling out all the students who irresponsibly took the law into their own hands had kicked off.

According to him, if found guilty, the future of many students will be affected as they may face jail term.

“Sadly, they didn’t apply themselves to the realities of the consequences of their actions,” he said.

He gave an example of Sigalame High School in Busia County where police have found a break through of what transpired on the night before the fire took place.

Mutyambai said that already officers had enough evidence which was backed by a CCTV footage.

He also warned students against acting out of peer pressure, or whatever justification and encouraged them to think before anything.

“At the end of it all, you will be alone, and have yourself to blame for your predicament. And if you don’t care about your future, then think of your innocent struggling parents/guardians,' Mutyambai said.

The country has for a couple of weeks witnesses students going on rampage and in some cases setting their schools on fire.

In most cases, the students are said to have taken the step after they were denied chance to go home due to the current tight academic calendar.
Education Cabinet Secretary (CS) Prof George Magoha gave stern action against students who will be found guilty of burning their schools.