• He is accused of sexually assaulting two boys aged 14. while giving them extra tutorial classes
• Mukangali asked the court to give him more time to comprehend the charges.
A primary school teacher in Mombasa was on Friday charged with sodomising his two pupils, who he has been giving private tuition.
Elphas Mukangali pleaded guilty to two counts of sodomising and committing indecent acts with minors aged 14 years on diverse dates between January and March.
“The charges are true but I have reservations,” he told Senior resident magistrate Christine Ogweno.
Mukangali asked the court to give him more time to comprehend the charges.
The magistrate, however, said she had recorded that the suspect had denied the charge.
“I am confused right now by pleading to these charges as I don’t know their consequences. I am requesting for more time to comprehend the offenses I am facing before I plead to them,” he said.
The suspect defended himself claiming he only rubbed the pupil’s buttocks accidentally while punishing them.
“The pupil had not done his assignment so I was caning him but I accidentally rubbed his buttocks,” the suspect said.
According to one of the minors’ parent, the suspect used to coach the pupils after normal school hours so as to improve their performance. He had coached one of the victims for the last two years.
On the second charge of sexually assaulting a 14-year-boy on April 26, Mukangali pleaded guilty but said he had reservations and had no defence on it.
The case also took a dramatic turn after Royal Junior Academy school management denied that the suspect is their employee. In a letter dated May 23, the school said Mukangali ceased to be an employee and teacher at the institution.
“We understand he has been carrying out tuition at the victims parents' houses where the ugly incident could have taken place and not in our institution as being alleged,” the school said.
The private school further said that the institution has no legal responsibilities over pupils who engage teachers for extra- tuition out of the prescribed times as enshrined in the education act.
The institution said though sympathizing with the victims of the heinous act, the victims’ parents bear the responsibility for whatever happened to the minors.
“Tuition has been banned and it’s an offense punishable by law. We are really saddened by the event that has targeted our institutions as allegedly harboring dangerous criminals out to destroy the future of the learners,” it said in the letter.
The suspect was remanded in police custody pending the mention of the case on Wednesday.