Charles Kipton, Board of Management Chairman for Ngaratuko Primary School in Baringo North sub-County of Baringo, inspects vandalism done by bandits who also burnt the school’s offices, and staffroom together with teachers' belongings in March, when they visited the school for the first time on May 13, 2024, after the school was closed in February due to persistent bandit attacks.
Ten schools that were destroyed by bandits in the troubled Kerio Valley are set to reopen after rehabilitation.
The abandoned schools, currently being rehabilitated by Kenya Defense Force (KDF) officers, are in West Pokot, Turkana, Baringo, Elgeyo Marakwet, Samburu, and Laikipia counties.
The vandalisation disrupted learning in five schools in the troubled Chesegon and Cheptulel areas in Pokot Central sub-County in West Pokot County, with candidates failing to sit their Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) and Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA) exams this year due to banditry witnessed in the region in 2023.
The affected schools are Chesegon Primary School, Cheptulel Primary School, Cheptulel Boys Secondary School, Sapulmoi Primary School, and Kisaa ECD in Pokot Central sub-County, Lonyangalem Primary School, Kour Primary School and Songok Primary School in Pokot North sub-County and Karon Primary School in Pokot West sub-County.
Others that were partially affected and are to be supported to resume normalcy are Kissa, Ptoh, Kases, Takaywa, Lonyanyalem, Pough primary schools, among others.
Some schools that were shut down three years ago were to be reopened at the beginning of the year but failed because the reconstruction was incomplete.
According to West Pokot County Commissioner Khalif Abdulahi, the rehabilitation of the schools is 80 percent complete.
“We now hope that the schools will be reopened soon. We want children to continue with their education in line with the government policy of ensuring every child gets basic education,” said Mr Khalif.
Peace school
According to the administrator, Cheptulel Boys High School had more than 1,000 students, 50 percent from West Pokot and the rest from Elgeyo Marakwet County.
“It is a strategic peace school in the region,” the administrator stated.
Speaking after inspecting the Sangak peace border school being constructed to enhance learning along the West Pokot and Turkana counties border on Monday, Sigor MP Peter Lochakapong said a proposal has been made to use affirmative action in recruiting learners in such schools.
According to Mr Lochakapong, all the schools under renovation will have learners from Turkana, West Pokot, and Elgeyo Marakwet counties.
The legislator said his office will work with the government to provide scholarships for all learners who will enroll in the school since the area has been vacated by locals due to insecurity cases.
“We have schools in West Pokot counties that are undergoing rehabilitation, and some have partially been reopened. We have put measures in place so that they can be reopened,” he says.
He said there is a need for dialogue among the neighbouring communities to ensure security, calling on residents to take children to school and maintain peace with their neighbours.
“We are collaborating with the national government to ensure the affected schools reopen. We have a few individuals causing insecurity in the region, he said, regretting that institutions like Chesta Teachers College in Chesegon were unoperational due to insecurity.
County Commissioner Khalif said 205 National Police Reservists (NPR) have been deployed to supplement the work of police and the military in the area.
“Priority of all NPRs was given to the schools affected by insecurity where part of the NPRs has been allocated.”
He said the Maliza Uhalifu operation has borne fruit in the North Rift region.
“We have succeeded a great deal in reducing the numerous incidents of insecurity since this operation started 10 years ago with over 75 percent success rates. What we are having now is sporadic revenge attacks that have no connection with livestock but only criminality. We will not condone any security mayhem in this area,” he said.
