Teachers stage demos after Deputy Principal killed by bandits in Isiolo

Teachers from various secondary schools in Isiolo, Marsabit County staged protests on Thursday, February 19, following the brutal murder of a deputy principal by bandits in a night raid on Wednesday, February 18, 2026.

The teacher, who has since been identified as Gatobu Maingi, was the deputy principal at Leperua Secondary School before his death.

His killing has intensified concerns over security in the northern part of the country, coming just weeks after another teacher was murdered in Mandera County.

According to Moses Kimwere, the Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET), Isiolo Executive Secretary,  Gatobu was attacked by bandits while travelling home from school on his motorbike.

Gatobu’s demise due to insecurity comes weeks after another teacher was killed by suspected al-shabaab militants in Mandera

The primary school teacher was killed alongside an area chief during a night attack by the militants on Sunday, January 25, in their homes in Hulugho, Mandera County.

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Following the killings, teachers in Mandera reportedly requested transfers due to security concerns. With schools left without staff, the learning process came to a halt, leaving students stranded.

To curb the frequent fleeing of teachers during security threats, President William Ruto recently ordered the immediate hiring of an additional 600 teachers born in the area to ensure that learning continued even during such threats.

“As a matter of affirmative action, for all the teachers who left here to be replaced, I have said we are hiring here in Mandera another 600 teachers to make sure they take charge of education in our primary and secondary schools,” Ruto stated during a recent tour to Mandera.

“Now we will have teachers who were born here. Even if there are problems, they will stay here to make sure your children are taught,” he added, expressing confidence that recruiting teachers born in the area would stabilise education in the region.

By Juma Ndigo