It’s a miracle we survived: Tot Secondary School students recount scary bus attack

Sylvia Losurigow, a Form Two student at Tot Secondary School, writhes in pain as workers at Moi Kapsowar Mission Hospital in Elgeyo Marakwet County attend to her.

She has just been discharged from the theatre after a bullet was removed from her left leg.

Losurigow is lucky to have survived when bandits sprayed her school bus with bullets in Chesuman on the Arror-Tot road on Thursday.

Bus driver Henry Kipkosgei died on the spot while 13 girls suffered bullet wounds.

Two teachers are admitted to hospital.

The bus lost control and veered off the road. A tree stopped it from overturning.

“It is a miracle that we survived. The gunmen first shot at our driver before spraying the rest of the bus with bullets. The shooting did not stop even after we ducked under the seats,” a sobbing Losurigow said.

 “They stopped shooting and fled when I pleaded with them in vernacular, telling them we are their relatives.”

The students had gone to Baringo on an academic tour. They were in a convoy of three buses. It is the bus in the middle of the convoy that was attacked.

The bus lay beside the road in Chesuman. Some of its windows were shattered, with the floor and seats covered in blood.

Students’ belongings were strewn all over the bus.

Uninjured students spent the night at Chesuman Primary School under heavy police protection as the rest were driven to hospital.

Clashes in the region have left more than 70 people dead in six months.

 Peninah Chemtai, another Form Two girl, will undergo an operation to remove a bullet in her pelvis.

“I cannot move any part of my body because of the pain. I regained consciousness in hospital. Nurses say I will undergo surgery,” Chemtai said.

 “Even students are not safe. These attacks are disrupting daily life. The government should come to our rescue.”

Kapsowar Mission Hospital director, Stanley Mutwol, said the students are out of danger but would need a lot of psychological support.

“The girls have been crying from the time they were brought in. They are stable but are still traumatised by the events of last evening,” Mr Mutwol said.

Elgeyo Marakwet Senator Kipchumba Murkomen told the government to end insecurity in his county, West Pokot and Baringo.

“We demand action to stop the loss of innocent lives. We are tired of endless killings,” Mr Murkomen said.

Rift Valley Regional Coordinator, Maalim Mohammed, said the government would use every means at its disposal to end banditry in the region.

Interior Cabinet Secretary, Fred Matiang’i ordered the immediate arrest and prosecution of Tot Secondary School principal.

Dr Matiang’i said the headteacher was negligent and violated the policy on movement of school buses.

He added that the government is considering placing sections of the North Rift under curfew and outlawing some groups.

The CS said school buses are not supposed to operate beyond 6.30pm.

He said the Tot School administrators violated the stipulated government policy.

“The fact that the area is prone to banditry should have informed more caution by the school administration,” the minister said at Kenya School of Government, Kabete, during issuing of padlocks for national examinations yesterday.

Two students are at Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH) while some teachers are being treated at private health institutions in Eldoret.

MTRH Chief Executive, Wilson Aruasa, told the Saturday Nation that the girls are in stable condition.

They were operated on after arriving at the hospital with gunshot wounds at 2am.

“One was shot in the chest and the other in the armpit,” he said.

Elgeyo Marakwet County Police Commander Patrick Lumumba visited the scene of the attack.

Also at the scene was former Inspector-General of Police Joseph Boinnet and Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers officials.

Dr Matiang’i said more arrests would likely follow.

The CS is next week expected to recommend to the National Security Council that armed groups in the region be outlawed.

The categorisation will allow the government to use more force against such groups.

Dr Matiang’i said the Ministry of Interior has put in place adequate measures to secure Kenya Certificate of Primary Education and Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education examinations that begin next month.

Reported by Fred Kibor, Caroline Wafula and Stanley Kimuge