A bus driver who was arrested while ferrying drunk secondary school students in Embu County has been jailed for six years.
Stephen Mwendwa was found driving male and female students from Siakago Boys and Thingingi Girls in Embu County, who were in possession of alcohol, cannabis and muguka (khart) before being arrested by the police after a tip off from residents.
He faced five counts of breaking the law, to which he pleaded guilty before Embu Magistrate Jean Ndengeri. He was given an option of paying Sh105,000 fine to shun the jail term.
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Mwendwa, a father of three was held hostage by members of the public who alerted the police and upon inspection, the bus was impounded.
He was charged with driving without a Public Service Vehicle (PSV) uniform, violating road service License through operating on unauthorized route, driving the bus with defective seat belts and invalid speed governor.
Although Mwendwa pleaded guilty in all counts, he told the judge that he was only doing his job by dropping the students at the shopping center hence did not have control over what they consumed.
“The students requested me to allow them buy snacks in a supermarket. I did not have control over what they consumed,” read his defense.
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The menace of school going students engaged in drug abuse has been on the rise lately, with different accounts being reported across the country.
In 2015, there was an incident of over 41 secondary school students were arrested with drugs while also engaging in sexual activities on their way home from school.
They were detained and later released after warning and advice from parents, teachers and even the police officers.
The increase of substance abuse in secondary schools has been associated with peer pressure especially from social media which documents such vices.
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