Insecurity in North Rift leaves learners unsure of school reopening

As learners in other parts of the country enjoy their holidays and are assured of reopening for the second term in two weeks , their counterparts in the banditry prone North Rift are uncertain of their fate.

 It is a nightmare for many learners in the region with many schools affected by perennial banditry in the troubled areas along the West Pokot, Baringo and Elgeyo Marakwet border points remaining closed.

 For instance, five schools in Chesegon and Cheptulel areas in West Pokot county remain closed after they were shut down two years ago after killings and attacks persisted in the region.

 This despite promises by the government to reopen and reconstruct schools that were vandalized by marauding bandits in the region.

 Some of the schools affected by insecurity in West Pokot county include Chesegon Primary, Cheptulel Primary, Cheptulel Boys Secondary, Sapulmoi Primary and Kissa ECD schools in Central Pokot sub county.

 Others are Lonyangalem Primary, Ptoh, Kases, Takaywa, Lonyanyalem, Pough, Kour and Songok Primary schools in Pokot North Sub-County and Karon Primary school in West  Pokot Sub-County.

 A spot-check by People Daily established that learners in schools in Pokot Central Sub County in West Pokot County failed to sit for their 2023 Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) and Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA) exams due to banditry witnessed in the region.

 The schools were last year partially rehabilitated by the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) supported by National Youth Service (NYS) officers after the Government set aside Sh100 million to rehabilitate and restore the infrastructure in the affected schools.

 However, learners and teachers have kept off the schools fearing for their lives.

 Residents who spoke to People Daily decried rampant cases of insecurity in the area describing the closure of the schools as unfortunate.

 Musa Kariwoi, head teacher at Pitpath Primary School said the fate of learners remains unknown adding that the population of teachers and learners in the region has drastically dropped.

 Helen Nichola, a parent, said that insecurity affected education because they stay in the bushes five kilometers away hence many learners opt to stay away from school.

 “High levels of poverty have aggravated the situation as parents have no funds to educate their children, causing many to drop out of school,” said Nichola.