Learning resumes in Lamu West

By Amoto Ndiewo

Learning has resumed in Lamu West under strict and tight security from the National Police Reservist (NPR). Some schools from the region had been closed after suspected Al-Shabaab bandits killed 15 people in Lamu West during raids on 2nd and 9th January 2022.

Fearing for their children’s lives, parents declined to take their kids to school hence Juhudi, Kibaoni, Shalom Academy, Holy Angels Academy, Mikunduni and Salama primary schools were closed.

Talking to Education News on phone, Lamu West sub county Director of Education, John Nzinga confirmed that from 18th January 2022, learning had resumed in all effected and neighbouring schools.

The resumption of learning came after Coastal Regional Coordinator John Elangata gave a directive on the same.

Nzinga said that his office had coordinated security arrangement with the county security team to ensure tranquility in schools in the villages that were targeted in the recent attacks.

‘The schools have two security guards each. All the reopened schools must be guarded to ensure learning goes on smoothly despite the challenge of low pupil attendance, ’he said.

Nzinga said his office had made plans of ensuring pupils are counselled as to allow them cope with the psychological trauma caused by the recent bloody attacks.

‘It’s sad that some pupils witnessed how their parents were gruesomely killed. They need counselling,’ he said.

He revealed that the pupil and tutor attendance stood at 50% and 100% respectively. He explained that the low attendance was attributed to the fact that some families were still trapped in distant IDP camps.

Nzinga also pointed out that learners must be released early enough from school.

He revealed that the attendance in private schools had improved and gave an example of Shalom Academy proprietor Amon Chengo saying 83 of the 110 pupils had turned up for learning.

The education chief said learning had resumed at Juhudi primary school despite the fact that the school hosts IDPs. He explained that pupils use the classes during the day while families use them at night.

During a recent visit to the region, Elungata said the government had provided enough security officers to police the volatile area.

According to some, the dicey volatile situation in Lamu West is due to local politics and land problems and Al Shabaab is just a guise.

‘How comes the killed are from a particular community from the diaspora?’ posed John Kamau.