KUPPET urges state to deal with banditry ahead of schools reopening
By Lucy Mumbi |
SG Misori said the escalating situation has led to a significant number of educators requesting transfers.
The Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) has urged the government to promptly address the rising cases of insecurity in Baringo and the Northern region before schools reopen.
Speaking in Naivasha, KUPPET Secretary General Akelo Misori said the escalating situation has led to a significant number of educators requesting transfers since there have been teachers who have been killed in terror attacks in the past.
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He added that others have also been robbed and maimed raising fears among the teaching fraternity which is now beyond the Teachers Service Commission (TSC).
While vowing to protect the teachers, Misori termed the escalating insecurity as serious adding that they have raised the issue with various government agencies.
“The situation is very serious. We are aware of the insecurity challenges facing our teachers’ mainly in Northern Kenya and Baringo and we are engaging the Ministry of Interior on the same,” he said.
In the last couple of years, most teachers in North Eastern refused to report back to school while in parts of Baringo, several schools have been closed due to escalating insecurity.
From December 2023, there has been unrest and tension in areas of Saimo Soi and Bartabwa wards following rampant banditry attacks, leading to loss of lives.
Worrying statistics
According to reports by the International Federation of Red Cross and Kenya Red Cross Society, a total of 2,781 households have been displaced, 33 fatalities reported and 26 others injured, since January 2024.
Additionally, a total of 37 learning institutions have been closed which include two secondary schools, 17 primary schools, and 18 ECD centres.
During his visit to Baringo on March 12, 2024, Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki announced the establishment of security camps in response to the escalating incidents of banditry and cattle rustling in Baringo County.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki addresses GSU officers at the Kosile camp in Baringo County on March 12, 2024. (Photo: X/ Interior ministry)
Among the newly inaugurated facilities was the Kosile GSU Camp, part of a series of measures aimed at quelling these threats and restoring peace.
"New security camps have been set up, and proactive operations are underway to address the challenges and restore normalcy," Kindiki said.
He underscored the government's holistic approach to tackling security issues, which includes the reorganisation of deployed units such as the GSU, the Anti-Stock Theft Unit, and the Rapid Deployment Unit in the region.
While acknowledging progress in containing bandit attacks in certain areas of Baringo South, he noted that several villages in Baringo South and Baringo North still face insecurity.
"Despite significant strides, specific locations remain susceptible to banditry attacks," Kindiki emphasized.
He singled out Namba, Ng'aratuko, Kagir, Yatya, and Kosile as particularly volatile villages requiring sustained efforts to mitigate the threat of banditry.
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