By Roy Hezron
Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) has urged the government to beef up security for children, teachers and schools in conflict prone areas in the country.
Referring to a recent broad daylight shooting in May 29, 2022 where three children and a herder were shot dead by bandits in Kerio Valley in Elgeyo Marakwet, the union Secretary General Collins Henry Oyuu told Education News that children, teachers and schools must be the focal point of insecurity concerns.
“We call upon the Government of Kenya and the Ministry of Interior under the stewardship of Dr. Fred Matiang’i to tighten security and surveillance in conflict prone areas of Elgeyo Marakwet, Baringo, TransMara and any other area that has been red-marked so that no more acts of this nature are committed,” said Oyuu.
The children, aged between 7 and 12 years old, were pupils at Tot primary school and the herder, Kemboi Simotwo, 26 was a teacher at Kinyach Primary School.
The killing happened barely five weeks after a primary school teacher was killed in a fresh attack by bandits.
The armed attackers, suspected to be from the neighboring Marakwet East, made away with more than 125 cows after killing the teacher.
In February, bandits attacked students of Tot Secondary School in Kerio Valley on the Biretwo-Tot road killing the bus driver and injuring 13 students and two teachers who were returning to school from an academic trip.
KNUT National Executive Committee (NEC) member representing Rift Valley Sammy Bor reiterated the need for students and teachers to have a conducive learning environment, adding that if the government will not address the matter, they will be forced to withdraw their members from the volatile region.
Earlier this year, the government revealed that it will establish two Security Camps in Kerio Valley with Rift Valley Regional Commissioner Mr. Maalim Mohamed stating that a General Service Unit (GSU) camp will be established at Kapkobil area along the Tot-Chesongoch road in Kerio Valley which has seen increasing cases of attacks by criminals, and an anti-stock theft unit at Kolowa along the Elgeyo Marakwet-Baringo-West Pokot counties boundary to ensure that livestock stolen in one county do not cross the border.
