Sixteen former Ambira Boys High School students accused of insulting Cabinet secretaries Amina Mohamed and Fred Matiang’i have been released.
The students, who sat their Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education examinations last month, were released on Monday after the office of the Director of Public Prosecution failed to prefer charges against them.
The former students were arrested after being filmed hurling insults at Ms Mohamed and Dr Matiang’i.
State Prosecutor David Okachi told the court that the DPP received the file of the minors on Monday morning and that he will prefer charges against them when he is ready to do so.
Ukwala Resident Magistrate Gladys Adhiambo released the suspects and ordered them to cooperate with police who are still conducting investigating into the matter.
The minors had spent a week in detention after the court granted the prosecution seven more days to wrap up investigations following their arrest on diverse dates between November 23 and 25.
Police pursued the minors after a 30-second video clip went viral on November 23 showing the students celebrating completion of their national exams.
In the video, the students who were engaged in an old ritual called academic fire in which past exam papers, notes and other materials are torched, hurled unprintable insults at Ms Mohamed and Matiang’i for their efforts to curb exam cheating.
“Shule huisha, shule huisha, tumeiba, tumeiba (school ends, school ends, we cheated, we cheated),” shouted the candidates.