- Insecurity along the Turkana-West Pokot border is disrupting learning and forcing families away from affected areas.
- Schools are grappling with falling enrolment, damaged infrastructure, teacher absenteeism and fear among learners.
- Church leaders have called for dialogue and lasting government intervention to end persistent border attacks.
Learning in schools along the volatile Turkana-West Pokot border has been severely disrupted following persistent banditry and cattle rustling, leaving pupils and teachers living in fear.
Hostile incursions by armed pastoralists have affected communities on both sides of the border, with schools bearing the brunt of the insecurity through attacks, destruction of facilities, declining enrolment and teacher absenteeism.
In Turkana South, Lokwar-Nakuse Primary School has recorded a sharp decline in enrolment following repeated attacks and damage to school infrastructure.
The school, which previously had more than 400 pupils, now has just over 80 learners, according to local residents and education officials.
“We have seen a huge drop in the number of children coming to school because parents are afraid for their safety. Many families have either moved away or are keeping their children at home,” a resident said.
Several learning institutions have also suffered damage, with some classrooms reportedly burned or vandalised by suspected raiders. Pupils who have remained in school are being forced to learn in damaged facilities, further compromising the learning environment.
Fear takes toll on learners and teachers
The insecurity has also brought violence directly to school compounds. At Philadelphia Primary School in Kainuk, armed bandits have reportedly entered school grounds, brandished weapons at pupils and caused injuries and psychological trauma.
“We cannot expect children to concentrate on their lessons when armed men can enter the school compound. The fear among pupils is very real,” a local education stakeholder said.
Teachers have also been affected, with insecurity contributing to widespread absenteeism in some affected areas. Education unions have in the past advised teachers to stay away from volatile zones until adequate security is guaranteed.
Residents have staged demonstrations over the deteriorating security situation along the border, calling on the government to take urgent action following a wave of killings.
“We are asking the government to restore security because our children cannot learn when their lives are constantly at risk,” a resident said.
Peace schools offer alternative
The government has sustained security operations in the North Rift in an effort to combat banditry and restore security in affected areas.
Local administrations have also promoted Peace Border Schools, which provide facilities for children from communities living along conflict-prone borders.
The Peace Border Schools initiative is well documented in West Pokot. It was established partly in response to insecurity, cattle rustling and inter-community conflict that had forced children to abandon school. The schools bring learners from different communities together to study, eat and live alongside one another, with the broader objective of promoting peaceful coexistence.
However, residents say security remains the most urgent requirement if education is to return to normal.
“We need lasting peace, not just temporary deployments. Our children deserve to go to school without fear, and teachers should be able to work without worrying about their safety,” another resident said.
Education stakeholders have warned that unless insecurity is contained, continued displacement, falling enrolment, damaged infrastructure and teacher shortages could have long-term consequences for children living along the Turkana-West Pokot border.
Church leaders in the region have also urged the government and political leaders to prioritise resolving persistent insecurity along the Turkana-West Pokot border, where deadly attacks have continued to claim lives.
North Rift National Council of Churches of Kenya (NCCK) Vice Chair Rev Samson Akoru has previously warned that killings and destruction of property along the border have disrupted learning and stalled development activities.
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The clerics have called for dialogue among leaders and communities and urged them to address the underlying causes of the conflict.
By Kimutai Langat
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