Director of Public Prosecution (DPP ) Renson Ingonga speaking during a public sensitisation at the Salvation Army Western territorial headquarters in Kakamega/IMAGE /HILTON OTENYO
Students engaging in criminal activities should be prepared to face the law, Director of Public Prosecutions Renson Ingonga has said.
Speaking
during a thanksgiving service for students of Lubinu Secondary School at Lubinu
ACK Church in Mumias East, Ingonga cautioned students against engaging in
criminal activities, saying a criminal record could permanently affect their
futures.
"I
am saddened whenever I am forced to approve charges against minors because
these are children. It does not matter how minor the offence is. Any
conviction, whether it results in a sentence or a fine, becomes a permanent
record that will affect your employability throughout your lifetime," he
said.
He
said although students may commit criminal offences while they are still
minors, they may be over the age of 18 by the time they are convicted, and
their sentences would then be determined as those of adults.
He
said the lives of the students suspected of starting the fire that killed their
colleagues at Utumishi Academy would never be the same.
"They
will be convicted. The best I can secure for them is a life sentence. A life
sentence is almost the same as a death sentence," he said.
Ingonga
said learners should reflect on the consequences of engaging in crime before
becoming involved in any activity that could put their future at risk.
He
urged students to resolve any issues they encounter at school through the
existing mechanisms and, where necessary, involve their parents rather than
taking matters into their own hands.
Ikolomani
MP Bernard Shinali, Mumias East MP Peter Salasya and former MP Ben Washiali
attended the event.
Shinali
urged students not to view education as a difficult stage in life but as
preparation for the future and to make the most of the opportunity.
Salasya
urged students to set goals while still in school, saying this would promote
discipline.
"When
you know what you want in life, you'll remain focused and avoid anything that
can derail your plans," he said.
