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A Baringo Bandit Took Over School Classrooms And Turned Them Into His Home

SK 2 years ago 2 min read

Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki shed some light on Wednesday on his ministry’s success in combating banditry in the troubled North Rift region.

The CS told the Senate Committee on National Cohesion in the Baringo County Hall Mini Chambers how insecurity had paralyzed learning activities in the region.

According to Kindiki, one bandit even moved into one of the classrooms that had been closed after the terror attack and made it his home.

“One of the schools was taken over by bandits and the classrooms became the home of the bandits. Class Eight, became the bedroom of the head of the family, Class Seven became the bedroom of the first wife, Class Six became the bedroom of the second wife and Class Five became the bedroom of the firstborn,” he told the committee.

“There is no greater level of impunity and lawlessness. The president has directed and we have taken the directive that even the remaining schools must be reopened.”

The CS said so far, the government has reopened 14 out of the 21 schools that had been closed.

“We will do whatever it takes to defeat terror and ensure all the schools are reopened. So far we have reopened a total of 14 schools, and this is not just a media story, I know the schools,” Kindiki said.

He added that for some schools, bandits had completely vandalized and burned them down, and his ministry is working with the Ministry of Education to construct new centers.

“The reason why Lerecha Primary School is not open is because the infrastructure was burned down by bandits and there is nowhere children can go. The schools that remain shut is because their infrastructure was completely destroyed,” Kindiki said.

“We are even discussing with Teacher Service Commission to get additional teachers from the local community because most for the teachers posted there are not comfortable and keep asking for transfers,” he added.

Cattle rustlers and bandits have caused devastation in the country’s North Rift region, killing hundreds of people, displacing thousands of people, and destroying thousands of livestock.

Baringo, Samburu, Turkana, and Elgeyo Marakwet are the most impacted counties.

President William Ruto announced last month that he had resorted to relocating CS Kindiki from his Nairobi office to the insecure region where he is supposed to restore security.