Learning at Sitet Comprehensive School in Angata Barrikoi has been disrupted indefinitely after the institution failed to reopen for the new school term, with its compound now hosting dozens of families displaced by recent ethnic clashes in the area.
The school, located along the Angata Barrikoi–Lolgorian corridor, in Narok County,has effectively been turned into a temporary settlement after residents fled their homes following violent confrontations linked to a long-standing boundary dispute between Angata Barrikoi and Lolgorian wards.
Families from Ololama and Kapkure villages began seeking refuge at the school in December last year after clashes erupted, forcing them to abandon their homes amid fears for their safety.
Makeshift shelters dot the school grounds, with classrooms and open spaces occupied by women, children and the elderly, making the school administration to unable to admit learners at the start of the term, dealing a major blow to education in the area.
Parents and local leaders say the prolonged displacement is denying hundreds of children their right to education while compounding an already dire humanitarian situation.
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“The school cannot operate under these conditions. Our children have nowhere else to learn, yet the displaced families also have nowhere to go,” said a parent whose two children are enrolled at the institution.
The clashes, which erupted over contested boundary claims between the neighbouring wards, reportedly led to the deaths of several people and the destruction of property, deepening tensions between communities that have lived side by side for years.
Local authorities and humanitarian agencies have been urged to intervene urgently to relocate the displaced families to safer, designated camps and facilitate the reopening of the school.
Community elders are also calling for renewed peace talks to address the root causes of the conflict and prevent further violence.
As uncertainty persists, both learners and displaced families remain caught in the crossfire of a conflict whose effects continue to ripple through Angata Barrikoi, threatening education, security and social cohesion in the region.
By Muntet ole Surum
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