Twenty four students from Kanjuri and Kiarithaini Boys High School in Nyeri were on Tuesday charged with malicious damage to property and being in possession of bhang.
The students appeared before Karatina Principal Magistrate Karen Njalale who earlier rejected the prosecution request to have the charges facing the students deferred for a further two weeks to allow the Office of the Director of Public Prosecution to peruse the file and make a decision on the same.
The magistrate argued that the delay in the prosecution of the students who most of them were underage will not only affect the student's learning time but will also show the court's laxity in taking a decisive action against cases of arson in schools that have been on the rise.
"As a court it's the time for decisive and firm action... These are students who should be in school and not in the corridors of justice," said Njalale
Nineteen students from Kanjuri High School were charged with destroying a transformer worth sh 1.1 million at the school.
They were also charged with possession of bhang and two jerricans of petrol.
Five students from Kiarithaini Boys High School were charged with possession of petrol.
All the students pleaded not guilty and were released on bond with their parents and guardians being directed to deposit a copy of their identification cards.
The case will be heard in December.
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