Residents of Masol ward in Central Pokot sub-county, West Pokot County are calling on local authorities to construct more schools in the bandit-prone area which is now experiencing peace.
They said that many children of school-going age were yet to join due to inadequate schools, with 40 per cent of the children out of school despite the government introducing free and compulsory education in the country.
The entire ward has only three primary schools and only one reaches Standard 8 despite having a population of twenty thousand residents.
They said theirs is the only ward in the county that has been neglected in terms of education due to its affinity to cattle rustling and conflict with its neighbours which led to the closure of Moi Masol Primary for over a decade. It was reopened two years ago.
The prevailing peace in the area has seen several ECDE centers mushrooming, albeit under trees, in the ward showing signs of a thirst for education.
Youth leader Joseph Rotich expressed concern that the number of learners will soon surpass that of schools and called for urgent interventions.
“We need more schools because that is where our hope is to use it as a tool to fight retrogressive cultures such as FGM and early forced marriages,” he said.
He appealed to the county government to construct a rescue center for girls and introduce school feeding programmes to increase enrolment and retention of learners in school.
Rotich added that most parents who forced their children into cattle rustling were embracing education but lack of schools in the region could make them return to the vice.
“Within a short time, the three primary schools are going to be overwhelmed due to the upsurge in enrolment,” he said.
Apart from inadequate schools, the residents are also appealing to both the county and national governments to assist in construction of a bridge across River Weiwei which renders them immobile during rain seasons.
By Kipilat Kapusia
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