- KUPPET and KNUT have given authorities seven days to address insecurity following a JSS teacher’s killing.
- Hillary Muhalya says teachers are demanding arrests, stronger security and protection in Samburu’s high-risk areas.
- The ultimatum comes as Third Term begins, raising fears that industrial action could disrupt learning.
Teachers in Samburu have issued a dramatic seven-day ultimatum to the government following the killing of a Junior Secondary School (JSS) teacher, warning that learning across the county could grind to a halt if security concerns are not urgently addressed.
The Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) and the Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) in Samburu County have threatened to withdraw teaching services and organise demonstrations following the killing of JSS teacher Mark Dancun Lemaramba in Samburu East.
Lemaramba was a teacher at Nguitongon Comprehensive School. According to the unions, he was attacked at his home by unknown assailants, who also reportedly made away with some of his livestock. Investigations into the killing have since commenced.
Samburu KNUT Secretary-General Richard Lentaya condemned the killing and called for urgent intervention by investigative agencies.
“We condemn the killing of our teacher and demand swift action from the relevant authorities,” Lentaya said.
The unions’ warning comes at a particularly sensitive moment, with learners having just reported for Third Term and parents expecting schools to remain open without disruption.
But teachers say they cannot continue working under conditions where their lives and safety are at risk.
Seven days for government to act
In a strongly worded statement, KUPPET and KNUT demanded immediate intervention by the government, insisting that the perpetrators behind Lemaramba’s death must be identified, arrested and prosecuted.
“We express our deep condemnation following the tragic killing of JSS teacher Mark Lemaramba, a teacher at Nguitongon Comprehensive School,” KUPPET Samburu Chapter Secretary-General Peter Leteipa said.
The unions want the Ministry of Interior, Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) and National Police Service to move with speed and bring those responsible to justice.
“We demand that the Ministry of Interior, the DCI, and the police crack down, arrest and bring all perpetrators to book without delay,” the unions said.
They also called on the judicial system to ensure those eventually found culpable face the penalties prescribed by law.
For teachers, however, the issue goes beyond one killing.
Lentaya said several teachers had lost their lives in the region and questioned the investigative response to previous incidents, arguing that teachers working in insecurity-prone areas need greater reassurance that their safety is being taken seriously.
The unions are therefore demanding broader protection for teachers, schools and residential areas where educators live.
“We urge the government to guarantee security to teachers and to all areas affected by insecurity in Samburu County,” they said.
Teachers threaten to leave high-risk areas
The unions have now put the government on notice that failure to act could trigger a major disruption of education services in Samburu.
Among the measures being considered is the withdrawal of teachers from areas considered highly dangerous.
“The union will be forced to implement the following measures to safeguard its members: Immediate withdrawal of teachers from high-risk or affected areas of Samburu East,” Leteipa said.
The unions also plan to organise demonstrations and petitions at sub-county and county headquarters to pressure security agencies to act.
That could create a major headache for schools already settling into Third Term.
The message from the unions is increasingly clear: teachers will not be expected to choose between serving learners and protecting their own lives.
Security has long complicated education provision in some parts of northern Kenya. In February this year, teachers in neighbouring Isiolo demonstrated following bandit attacks that reportedly claimed the life of a deputy principal, highlighting the wider challenge facing educators working in insecurity-prone areas.
Security becomes a teachers’ welfare issue
For years, teacher welfare debates have largely focused on salaries, promotions, transfers, medical cover and working conditions.
The Samburu incident is putting another issue firmly at the centre of the conversation — personal security.
Teachers posted to remote and insecurity-prone regions can face unique challenges, including long distances between schools and residential areas, inadequate security infrastructure and exposure to criminal or bandit activity.
The unions are therefore demanding protection not only within schools but also in the areas where teachers reside.
Their argument is straightforward: a teacher cannot effectively educate children while living in constant fear for their own safety.
If the seven-day ultimatum expires without a satisfactory government response, Samburu could witness a major confrontation between teachers’ unions and the government.
The unions have warned that they could withdraw services across affected areas and stage demonstrations, potentially disrupting learning at the beginning of Third Term.
The standoff could therefore develop into more than a labour dispute. It could become a test of the government’s ability to protect teachers serving in some of the country’s most challenging environments.
The unions’ demands are centred on justice for Lemaramba, immediate security intervention and long-term protection for teachers working in high-risk areas.
As the seven-day deadline runs, attention now shifts to the Ministry of Interior and other security agencies.
The government must decide whether to move swiftly to calm the situation — or risk industrial action that could send learning in parts of Samburu into uncertainty.
Photo caption: Samburu KNUT Secretary-General Richard Lentaya addresses the media on August 25, 2026, following the killing of JSS teacher Mark Lemaramba. Teachers’ unions have given the government seven days to address their security concerns.
By Hillary Muhalya
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