The Kenya Women Teachers Association (KEWOTA) has strongly condemned the killing of Stephen Musili Vundi, a teacher at Hulugho Primary School in Garissa County, who was murdered in a suspected terror attack earlier this week.
In a public statement released on January 27, KEWOTA described the incident as a direct assault on the teaching profession and called for immediate reforms to protect educators serving in high-risk regions.
“This is not an attack on one teacher; it is an attack on the teaching profession as a whole,” the statement read.
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KEWOTA CEO Benter Opande expressed deep concern over the conditions faced by teachers deployed to hardship and insecurity-prone areas, noting that many serve with courage and dedication despite limited protection.
“No teacher should have to make that choice between their calling and their life,” the circular read.
The association is now demanding urgent action from the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) and relevant government agencies. Among its key proposals are a review of deployment strategies in insecure areas, strengthened security guarantees, and psychosocial support for affected teachers and families. “The welfare, safety, and psychosocial support of teachers in these high-risk zones are still worryingly low,” the circular stated.
Musili’s death has reignited debate over the safety of educators working in volatile regions, with stakeholders warning that continued insecurity could undermine education access and retention in marginalized communities.
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Opande pledged that KEWOTA would mobilize stakeholders to ensure that Musili’s death is not reduced to a statistic.
“We commit ourselves to ensuring that his life and service compel meaningful action and lasting change in the protection and welfare of teachers,” she said.
Leaders across the country have condemned the killing. The TSC has pledged to work with the family to provide support and ensure a dignified send-off.
By Masaki Enock
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