•Crimes said to have been committed over a period of time at the Martyrs of Uganda Children’s home, Kimutwa, where suspect worked
•Victims say accused would entice them with food
Image: COURTESY
A cook who was arrested for allegedly sodomising nine boys in a Catholic-run orphanage in Machakos county will be charged today.
David Katuku, 23, had been on the run for a week until Monday when he was arrested in Kathukini, Masinga subcounty, where he was hiding in his uncle's home.
He was arraigned before Machakos resident magistrate ME Analo. However, he did not take plea after the prosecution asked to hold him for more days to complete investigations and prepare the case. They were given two days.
The crimes are said to have been committed over a period of time at the Martyrs of Uganda Children’s home, Kimutwa, where the suspect worked.
The charitable facility, which doubles as a primary school and an orphanage, is located along the Katumani-Wote road on the outskirts of Machakos.
The victims claimed the accused would entice them with food before subjecting them to the traumatising experience and threatening them with dire consequences if they revealed it to anyone.
Last week, a Machakos court issued a warrant of arrest for the suspect and also handed Machakos subcounty children officer Emily Kimanzi an order allowing her to move the remaining 38 children (13 boys and 25 girls) to Machakos Children Rescue Center and Machakos Remand Home for safe custody.
“Today, we have been able to close down the Ugandan Martyrs Children's Home because of these serious allegations of sodomy. The children confessed that a worker has been sodomising them since 2018. We shall also take the administrators of the facility to task since we feel they have a case to answer as they appear to have been concealing the reality of what was happening,” she said.
Kimanzi told journalists no effort will be spared to ensure all those who are conspirators in the alleged crime are brought to book.
She said the government will continue cracking down on any children's facility found violating the rights of the minors and revoke their licenses.
On February 14, a Class Six pupil at the institution’s primary school said he had been defiled by Mutuku within the premises.
The minor said the cook had lured him into his trap with the promise of an extra plate of rice for lunch before forcing the boy into the act.
“The cook asked me to go for an extra plate of food which to me was a kind gesture from him. But on getting into the kitchen, he locked the door from the inside before forcefully assaulting me sexually," the 13-year-old boy, who is currently at the Machakos Remand Home, said.
He said the suspect later threatened to kill him the boy in the event he revealed the incident to anyone.
It was only after the boy started experiencing severe pain that he decided to disclose the ordeal to a friend before the two reported the matter to the head teacher.
The matter was later reported at the Machakos police station.
The boy was later taken to Machakos Level 5 Hospital for treatment.
The suspect is said to have continued with his normal duties at the facility long after the allegations were reported to the administrators.