Learning marred in banditry-hit areas of Baringo

Seven institutions in the banditry-prone Baringo South are yet to resume learning a month after schools reopened countrywide, raising fears of increased drop out cases.

The affected schools include Mukutani, Sosion, Matunda, Ruggus, Kapindasum primary schools and Mukutani and Embosos.

Despite multi-agency efforts to restore order in the troubled regions, banditry attacks continue to be reported, with locals forced to flee their homes and seek refuge in camps.

The situation has been worsened by the fact that many teachers, a majority of whom are non-locals, are yet to report to for fear of being attacked.

Mukutani location chief Benjamin Lecher said more than 400 school-going children in his area, which is among the worst hit, are at home. According to the administrator, gunshots have become the norm in the area.

Retrogressive cultural practices, such as female genital mutilation and early marriages are also rife in the area.

Residents have called for urgent intervention to ensure learning resumes.

“You can imagine an area where more than 400 learners are idling due to insecurity when their counterparts are in school. Retrogressive cultural practices are also common in this area. If no action is taken, many girls will be married off and young men turned into bandits,” said Mr Lecher.

Insecurity prone areas

“We have lost a number of schoolgoing children, killed by armed criminals while herding. The older boys have also resorted to going into the bushes to protect their community from being attacked,” said the administrator.

Paul Kipyemat, a resident from the porous Arabal village said in some of the schools that had reopened, most of the learners were yet to report to school for fear of attacks.

“Most children in the insecurity prone areas are still at home. We are praying for normalcy to return because most children will end up dropping out,” said Mr Kipyemat.

Recently, Baringo County police commander Robinson Ndiwa asked locals in Baringo South to allow their children to resume classes, assuring them that schools are safe. He said buffer zones have been set up in the affected areas to ensure peaceful co-existence between the warring communities.

“I am appealing to locals to kindly take their children to school because we have deployed enough security officers. Some of them are living in those affected schools to ensure learners and their tutors are safe,” said Mr Ndiwa.

Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) Baringo branch secretary Joshua Cheptarus recently threatened to withdraw teachers in the banditry prone areas if the government does not guarantee their security.