Martha Wangari Karua, who is a well-known political leader in the Orange Democratic Party as former Raila Odinga’s running mate, has explained why she was expelled from school back in her days.
Martha Karua admitted that back in her prime days when she was in high school, she used to be expelled a lot, up until she lost count of how long she had stayed out of school.
Martha Karua narrated the incident saying that she was written down as one of the students who was making noise in class reason why she was subjected o punishment. What she never agreed with was the kind of punishment that she was subjected to.
“Unaandikwa kwa kitabu aty mulikua mnazungumza during prep, noise-making if you like it… Taabu sio noise making na mimi sikatai nilikua naongea, ile nakataa ni ile punishment yeny ilikua awarded.” Martha Karua said.
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Apparently Martha Karua’s punishment was that she be canned from the backside, something she said was wrong, and she was having a hard time trying to make the teacher understand that it was not right for girls to be canned from the back and was offering a hand instead.
“Mwalimu alikua antaka kunichapa on the back side, namwambia huwezi ananifukuza nakimbia mpaka the gate of the school na exit sasa tunarudi na mzee na alikua mwalimu. Wanadiscuss huko nje mzee anasema; it is against the code of regulation.
You cannot cane a female student on the back side. Naye mwalimu wangu anakataa anasema hiyo ndio punishment na mzee anamwambia, I will withdraw her from school, so my father withdrew both me and my sister from the school.” Marth Karua explained.
Martha Karua’s efforts to make the teacher understand bore no fruit.
She further explained that it is very indecent and offensive for a girl to be canned on the backside, as that is punishment for boys and not girls.
“It is indecently offensive, and it was reserved for boys. Today, you don’t beat any child; you give them other acceptable punishments. He wanted to administer canes on my backside, and I said nooo.” Martha Karua said.