NAIROBI, Kenya, May 24 — Chief Justice Martha Koome has dismissed reports suggesting she supports corporal punishment in schools saying her remarks on the subject were taken out of context.
While affirming the need for students to abide by the code of conduct established in their various schools, Koome said corporal punishment is and unlawful and as such an unavailable avenue to institute disciplinary measures.
“I cannot advocate for corporal punishment, I am a children’s rights defender,” Koome said in a recorded statement released by her office on Monday.
“Corporal punishment is outlawed so there’s no school that can have within its disciplinary procures corporal punishment or anything that brings the dignity of the children down,” she said.
Koome made the remarks at the centre of controversy on Sunday when she paid a visit to Loreto High School in Limuru in the company of Deputy Chief Justice Philomena Mwilu and other top judicial officers.
Some commentators faulted Koome for making what they described “roadside declarations” on legal matters that could find their way in court for adjudication, a possibly before a Supreme Court bench she could chair if such matters find their way to the top court.
