Ruto orders schools closed due to insecurity in Kerio Valley reopened

President William Ruto has ordered the reopening of schools in Kerio Valley that were previously shut down due to insecurity.

Speaking during a church service in Tot, Elgeyo Marakwet County on Sunday, Ruto assured residents that the government would support the resettlement of those who had been displaced from their homes.

“For the 13 schools yet to be reopened, the Interior Minister and his Special Programmes counterpart will collaborate to ensure they are opened,” Ruto said.

“By the end of January, we will support all residents who had fled their homes in West Pokot to resettle so pupils can return to their schools to avoid congestion in some schools.”

The Kerio Valley straddles the borders of Elgeyo Marakwet, West Pokot, and Baringo counties.

Ruto added that new teachers will be employed to support education in the region.

“We will send 100 teachers to support the worst-affected schools in this region,” he said.

Cattle rustlers and bandits have wreaked havoc in the country’s North Rift region, leading to the loss of hundreds of lives, displacement of residents, and loss of thousands of livestock.

Schools vandalised

The most affected counties are West Pokot, Baringo, Samburu, Turkana, and Elgeyo Marakwet, where in some cases bandits have completely vandalised schools and burned them down.

In August 2024, Ruto said the government was determined to change the face of Kerio Valley and other parts of the country ravaged by banditry and other forms of insecurity.

“We will change the face of Tiaty, Baringo County, other regions in Kerio Valley and all marginalised areas so that all our children can access equal opportunities,” he said.

Speaking at the same event, InteriorCabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen thanked the President for keeping his promise to silence guns in the Kerio Valley.

“I thank the President for making good his campaign promises to silence the guns in Kerio Valley,” Murkomen said.

Murkomen the government will not allow Kerio Valley to slide back to violence.

“Anyone engaging in criminal activities will be dealt with to the full extent of the law,” Murkomen added.

“Peace is an indispensable ingredient in national development. That is why the church’s pivotal contribution to the restoration of peace in Kerio Valley must be lauded.”

According to the CS, the church has helped to bridge the socio-cultural divide and foster understanding between the various communities living in the region by working with the government and other actors.

He reiterated that the people of Kerio Valley could now go about their socioeconomic activities in peace.

“As directed by the President, we will set to work immediately with our counterparts in the Ministries of Education, East African Community, Arid and Semi-Arid Lands, and Regional Development to re-open the remaining schools that had closed as a result of banditry,” Murkomen said.

“We will also operationalise all the new sub-counties and locations in the area to enhance service delivery and foster sustainable peace.”