12/10/2026
The Use of Reasonable Force by Teachers in Restraining Dona Makena.
Not every physical confrontation is necessarily an assault. Many people should understand that.
Before condemning the Forest Primary School teachers of assault, you should consider whether they were trying to control a troublesome citizen in a difficult situation. I genuinely think that was the case.
The incident involving Dona Maken and teachers at Forest Primary School in Trans Nzoia County has been unfortunately twisted and framed as assault prematurely. The focus should be on the physical confrontation that erupted and why.
What if the teachers were attempting to restrain an erratic Don Makena rather than deliberately assault her?Not Every Use of Force Is an Assault.
In a school institution, there may be circumstances in which staff members must intervene physically to prevent immediate harm, protect themselves or students, or bring a dangerous confrontation under control.
Teachers are human beings who can find themselves in unpredictable situations, including confrontations that escalate beyond their ability to resolve them through verbal communication alone. I think this was the case in Forest Primary School.
Where physical intervention is genuinely necessary, the law does not necessarily treat every use of force as unlawful. The circumstances matter, including the reason for the intervention, the level of force used, whether it was proportionate to the threat, and whether it stopped once the need for restraint had passed.
So we should at this point be only discussing whether the force allegedly used by teachers was reasonable or not. The mere fact that teachers physically restrained Dona Makena does not, by itself, establish that they committed an assault.
If the teachers were attempting to restrain her during an escalating confrontation, that would be acceptable.
However, the intention to restrain someone would not automatically justify every action taken in the process. The question must be whether the force used was necessary and proportionate.
Our Biggest Question Is What Happened Before the Cameras Started Rolling?
Reports indicate that the confrontation arose from a dispute concerning lunch fees for Dona Makena's younger brother. Understanding how that disagreement escalated is essential.
What was said before the physical confrontation? Who initiated physical contact? Was anyone facing an immediate threat? Were the teachers attempting to prevent further escalation?
These are not excuses for wrongdoing. They are legitimate questions that an impartial investigation should answer.
The video circulating online appears to be showing the middle or final stages of the confrontation. It may not reveal everything that led to the incident. The footage should be examined in its entirety, alongside witness accounts and other available evidence.
It would be unfair to assume that the teachers were innocent simply because restraint is a possible explanation. Equally, it would be premature to assume that they were guilty without establishing what actually happened.
The Teachers Deserve a Fair Hearing. There is a tendency in emotionally charged public controversies to identify a victim and a villain before all the facts are known.
But teachers, like every other citizen, deserve a fair hearing. Their profession should neither shield them from accountability nor make them automatic suspects whenever a confrontation occurs.
If evidence establishes that they used reasonable and proportionate force to prevent immediate harm, the public should be willing to acknowledge that their actions may have been justified.
Conversely, if evidence establishes that they used excessive force, they should be held accountable in accordance with the law.
The same standard must apply regardless of how sympathetic either party appears to the public.
Restraining a person to prevent harm is fundamentally different from using physical force to punish, intimidate or retaliate against them. Even when an intervention begins with a legitimate purpose, the force used must remain necessary and proportionate.
If the threat has passed, continuing to use force may no longer be justified.
That is why the allegations reported in this case, including claims that Dona Makena was struck and kicked, must be investigated carefully. They should neither be accepted as proven facts without verification nor dismissed merely because the teachers may have been attempting to restrain her.
The teachers' account, statements from independent witnesses, the complete video footage and the findings of the relevant authorities should help establish what happened.
Justice requires more than reacting to disturbing images or emotionally compelling accounts.It requires patience, evidence and a willingness to consider explanations that may differ from our initial impressions.
