By Talarus Chesang
Education Cabinet Secretary (CS) Professor George Magoha has said he doesn’t have the power to order for the reopening of schools in Baringo that were closed down due to insecurity.
The CS said it is the responsibility of the Ministry of Interior to work on security and to revive all the learning institutions closed down due to insecurity-clashes, banditry or cattle rusting menace across the country.
“People should better take the pressure to the Interior CS Dr. Fred Matiangi and his team who have the right state machinery to beef up security,” he said.
Prof Magoha, who was accompanied by his Labor counterpart Simon Chelugui, was speaking in Baringo where he made door-to-door visits to mobilize pupils from less fortunate families to access secondary education.
He argued that the work of the Ministry of Education is to ensure that children have 100 percent access to basic education and that teachers and children are safe. He added that Baringo county currently stands at 80 percent transition rate.
Prof. Magoha helped four needy children from Kapkut and Kaprogonya estates in Kabarnet town secure form one admission at Kituro high school in Baringo Central sub-county. He added that the needy students’ school fees will be fully paid by the government.
Apart from banditry, more than 10 schools have also gotten submerged in the flooded lake Baringo, Lake Bogoria and Lake 94. The situation is blamed on the massive human destruction of the environment and global warming.
During his visit, the CS commissioned the groundbreaking of Shs 30 million Salabani primary school, which is among the schools submerged by floods. The structure is sponsored by the Child Fund International, a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO).
The CS appealed to more donors to assist in the reconstruction of schools submerged by floods and to resettle the thousands of learners affected by natural calamities like floods, landslides and windstorms.
Baringo South Member of Parliament (MP) Charles Kamuren had earlier on urged the government to reopen the schools shut down since 2005 owing to banditry.
The nine schools, either totally closed or partially operational currently, are Ruggus, Noosukro, Kapndasum, Mukutani primary, Sosion, Matunda, Kiserian primary and Embosos secondary school and Chepkesin boarding primary school in Baringo North Sub-county.
Kamuren said that learners from the above schools have been forced to flee and are now trekking long distances to learn in the neighboring schools.
He added that since 2005, more than 200 people have been killed by bandits, several injured and thousands of livestock stolen by the armed bandits.
“The learners are frequently disrupted with gunshots, bandits also threaten their lives, vandalize and take away the school materials” Kamuren said.
