Two men from Nairobi have been charged with failing to protect a child from drug use after reportedly offering alcohol to a 12-year-old boy.
Lewis Gachago and Michael Imbura are alleged to have neglected their duty to prevent the minor from consuming Chrome Vodka at their residence in Saika Estate, Njiru, on August 2nd.
The duo is accused of committing the offence jointly with others at large, in violation of section 16 as referenced with section 20 of the Children’s Act of 2001.
According to case details, the child’s mother had tasked him with delivering a letter to her employer, who provided accommodation to the two suspects. During his visit, the boy encountered five individuals in the house.
After handing over the letter, he was asked to wait in the house. His mother’s employer then left with one of the individuals, leaving the boy in the company of three men, who included the two defendants.
Having waited for a long period, the boy’s mother went to the house to inquire about his well-being. She found Imbura and Gachago, who guided her to a room where she discovered her son in an intoxicated state and vomiting.
The mother contacted the police, who arrived at the location and arrested the two accused individuals. They rescued the boy and rushed him to Mama Lucy Kibaki Hospital for medical care.
Appearing before Principal Magistrate Irene Gichobi of the Makadara Law Courts, Lewis Gachago and Michael Imbura denied the charges.
They were granted release on a bond of Sh20,000, with a surety of a similar amount or alternatively, a cash bail of Sh10,000.
The case is scheduled for mention on September 7, with the hearing slated for October 31.
