By Amoto Ndiewo
After a 7-year closure due to frequent Al Shabaab attacks, three of the five recently opened schools have been temporarily closed in Lamu East Sub County.
Fearing for their lives many teachers have fled following a recent Improvised Explosive Device (IED) attack on a Kenya Defence Fence vehicle that claimed killed seven soldiers.
And as a result pupils in Mararani, Milimani and Mangai areas in the terror prone region in Lamu County are once again stranded after their tutors fled fearing they would be targeted next.
Lamu Education Director Joshua Kaaga said the only schools still operating in the affected area, are Basuba and Kiangwe.
“And each has a teacher. Sadly the parents have refused to release their children to school fearing that the militants might target the learning institutions in attempt to scuttle secular education,” said Derick Kyalo a teacher in Basuba.
He recalled that five schools were opened in January after a seven year closure due to constant terror threats by Al Shabaab militants who vandalised and torched some schools.
“ During this year’s mid-January reopening the government airlifted pupils and teachers to their respective schools. The teachers were housed within security camps to ensure safety,’’ said Kyalo.
He lamented that since the new term began in May, neither has the government provided Covid -19 PEPs nor airlifted the teachers and pupils in both primary and secondary schools.
A spotcheck in in the area revealed that residents rely on herbs for treatment and Covid-19 awareness is nil while a major road leading to the expansive Boni Forest is not used due to militants planting IEDs and attacking security personnel.
However, Kaaga said that in an attempt to secure and salvage the education for the marginalized Boni children, a fortnight ago the government boated, over 250 students to Mokowe Arid Zone School. Though the day and boarding school was established in 1992 to cater for learners from marginalized communities like Orma, Sanye and Boni it still suffers low enrolment.
“ Boni children have to board since their homes are more than 300 kilometres away,’’ said Kaaga.
Secondary school students face similar challenges, he said, adding that he was, however, optimistic that learning would soon resume.
“Plans are afoot to ferry students back to school and persuade the teachers resume duty. We met the teachers at county commissioner’s office and their main concern is insecurity. We will again talk to them after half term, and I am positive of an amicable solution,’’ noted Kaaga.
Although Kaaga hopes for a positive outcome, it remains to be seen if the reluctant parents will allow their children to attend school in the terror prone region.
