The North Rift Kenya National Union of Teachers officials from the North Rift region has called upon the Government to change its approach in tackling banditry in the region to allow learning to resume in schools.
KNUT officials led by the union’s first national vice-chairman, Malel Langat, on April 22, in Bomet County, said that the death of the military top gun and other soldiers should mark a turning point in dealing with banditry menace.
“The years of unyielding fight against banditry by the Government now calls for a change in tracts. The blood of the soldiers who perished on a noble mission, minutes after inspecting schools to be rehabilitated should be enough sacrifice to make the Government rethink and change the approach in ending banditry,” Langat said.
Langat added that too many lives of children, teachers, security officers, administrators, clergy, innocent villagers and pastoralists have been lost, yet the Government continues to use the same approach to fight the bandits.
He also questioned the fate of schools in the area and the safety of teachers and learners, due to the recent attacks which have been witnessed in the area.
“With the kind of attacks we have witnessed in the recent past, what is the fate of the schools recently closed and where will learners and their teachers operate from as a result?” Langat said.
Richard Lentayaa, Samburu Knut executive secretary said the security should be impartial in their approach in dealing the banditry to find a lasting solution for the problem and that schools are at the verge of opening for the second term but their fate remains in limbo due to security duress.
“With schools about to reopen for second term, there is no guarantee that the attacks witnessed in the recently, will not recur and the learners and teachers will be able to report to their learning and working institutions without fear of being attacked by the bandits,” Lentayaa said.
Lentayaa added that Government’s approach of announcing the impending security operations only enable the bandits to retreat or change the tactics in insecure areas. Why can’t the Government launch a surprise attack and end the menace?
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The officials regrettably said that the government, since independence has been unable to solve the banditry menace.
“Children dropping out of schools due to the fight against banditry while other joins the attackers in the raid is a historical problem that we as a country should put behind us,” they said.
Many schools in the North Rift region, has remained closed due to constant attacks from the bandits with the perpetrators evading security agencies.
The deployments of the security personnel to wipe out the problem have not bore any fruit with the bandits gaining momentum by using their terrain mastery skills to even carry out attacks and raids near security personnel’s camps then retreat to their hideouts.
On April 8, 2024, President William Ruto speaking during the commissioning of the Cemtech Limited clinker plant in West Pokot, he said “In the next two days, the army will be in Chesogon and will come there to ensure the schools are built. They will be there to ensure that when schools open next term, the children of those schools will be there.”
By Brian Ndigo
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