No military chopper rides for teachers to terror-prone Boni forest schools
Teachers working in the terror-prone Boni Forest have been asked to find alternative means of transport to the villages as Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) helicopters are no longer available.
Security officials are unable to access the KDF helicopters, which have been used in the past to airlift teachers when schools reopen.
Speaking to Nation.Africa on Tuesday, Lamu County Commissioner Wesley Koech revealed that it has recently become almost impossible for the Lamu security team to access military helicopters to ferry the over 30 teachers to Boni Forest.
According to Mr Koech, the situation was worsened by the crash of a military helicopter in Elgeyo-Marakwet County on April 18, which killed the Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) Francis Ogolla and nine other soldiers.
Mr Koech said that it was difficult to initiate processes and get permission from the state to use a military helicopter to ferry teachers to Boni Forest.
"You know, it's not the role or mandate of the military to ferry teachers to their working stations. They only did that as a way of assisting the education ministry accomplish its functions in Boni Forest. We want to ensure Boni Forest pupils also access education like their counterparts in other areas of the country," said Mr Koech.
"But since we have no military choppers to airlift the teachers to Boni Forest, as the Lamu security committee, we've arranged a boat to ferry them across the vast Indian Ocean to Kiangwe village before getting connected by road to Mangai, Mararani, Basuba and Milimani under security convoys. Unfortunately, the teachers are unwilling and insist that they be airlifted by a military helicopter which isn't available."
The County Commissioner urged the teachers to have a heart of patriotism for their country, especially the vulnerable Boni Forest pupils who have always lagged behind in education.
"We need to let go of our selfish behaviours and instead volunteer to assist the Boni pupils. They always start learning late, nearly towards the closure of the term almost every year. Currently, they have not stepped in class since teachers haven't reported.
“Security has been intensified across Boni Forest and that's why there has been no incident of attacks for the past three plus months. We're ready to escort them to Boni Forest by water and road transport. Military choppers are unavailable," said Mr Koech.
Some of the teachers, who spoke to the Nation on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals, insisted that they were unwilling to risk their lives by agreeing to be transported by road to Boni Forest.
The roads leading into the forest are often feared to be booby-trapped by terrorists, and there are also fears of being ambushed by al-Shabaab-linked militants.
For their own safety, teachers usually sleep in KDF camps at night and report to work every day.
One of the teachers said that travelling to Boni Forest by road was suicidal.
"We're already sacrificing a lot having to teach in Boni Forest, a terror-prone region that is feared by even the security agencies themselves. Now, they want to put our lives in danger even more by forcing us to use road transport. We won't do that. Most of us have young families that depend on us," said one of the teachers.
Another teacher said they would stay in their homes until the government was ready to airlift them to Boni Forest.
The teacher reiterated that the government is used to playing with their minds by promising them goodies they cannot deliver.
"I know once we accept travelling by road, the government will not make any efforts in the future to airlift us by helicopter but rather stick to road transport. As long as they can't access a chopper to airlift us to Boni Forest, then we shall stay in our homes. Our lives and security are paramount," said the teacher.
Lamu Director of Education Zachary Mutuiri pleaded with the teachers to have faith in the security team by accepting to be transported back to Boni Forest by water and road.
"I appeal to the teachers to stop being hardliners and instead, accept the security team's suggestion to have them escorted to Boni Forest by boat and connect by road from Kiangwe village. The security team has assured us that the teachers' security is guaranteed.
“I don't see a problem there if the teachers are escorted to the concerned schools to enable the Boni pupils to reopen their schools and learn. Let's accept this particular arrangement, knowing very well that once a chopper is available next time, it will be used to airlift our teacher to Boni Forest. It's not the end of the world," said Mr Mutuiri.
Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) Lamu branch Executive Secretary Ibrahim Shahibu urged the government to stop forcing teachers to travel by road, knowing full well that such a decision puts their lives at risk.
Mr Shahibu said that working in the terror-prone Boni Forest is a sacrifice in itself, given that the area is prone to al-Shabaab attacks.
"We won't take it. Teachers are also family people and their security should be checked. You can't subject them to road transport and you know the repercussions of doing so. We shall only accept transport that is safe," he said.
In September 2015, the national government launched a multi-agency security operation to flush out al-Shabaab militants believed to be hiding in the dense Boni Forest.
The operation, dubbed Operation Amani Boni (OAB), is still ongoing and is being carried out by various security units including the National Police Service (NPS), Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), Kenya Forest Service (KFS), the National Government Administration Officers and the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF), which is the lead agency.
