A total of 73 schools comprising 54 primary and 19 secondary institutions have been shut down in the restive Kerio Valley due to escalating insecurity, marked most recently by the fatal shooting of a Catholic priest. The slain cleric, Fr Alois Cheruiyot Bett of St Mulumba Catholic Church, was gunned down by unknown assailants on Thursday, May 22, further exacerbating fears among residents and educators alike.
In response to the deteriorating security situation, local chapters of teachers’ unions have thrown their weight behind calls to close schools indefinitely. Leaders of the Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) and the Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) in Elgeyo Marakwet County voiced serious concerns about the safety of teachers, particularly non-local staff who are increasingly seen as targets in the region’s wave of violence.
Union officials cited a troubling pattern in the recent spate of killings, suggesting that the attacks are deliberately aimed at non-locals. The murder of Fr Bett follows the deaths of three police officers, which union leaders believe points to an orchestrated attempt to terrorize and drive out people from outside the area.
Leaders of the two unions expressed deep concern that non-local teachers are being systematically targeted by what are believed to be armed bandits operating in the valley. They warned that unless decisive action is taken to disarm these criminals, teachers will not feel safe enough to return to their duties.
Union representatives demanded the immediate relocation of non-local teachers to safer schools in other regions. The safety of educators, they emphasized, must take precedence over all else. There was a strong call for justice for Fr Bett and for those responsible for his killing to be swiftly apprehended and prosecuted.
One union leader underscored the chilling implications of the murder of a peace-preaching priest, posing the rhetorical question: if such a symbol of peace can be so violently attacked, what chance do ordinary teachers have?
The growing conflict, described as being rooted in tribal tensions among communities along the Kerio Valley, has deeply disrupted education in the region. Many schools are now deserted, with children staying home and learning at a standstill.
Union leaders also made an appeal to national authorities, urging the Internal Security Ministry to intervene decisively and end the cycle of violence once and for all. They specifically called on the Cabinet Secretary for Internal Security to prioritize the restoration of order in the troubled valley.
There was also an appeal to the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) to allow transfers for teachers who no longer feel safe working in Kerio Valley. Union officials stressed that while the decision to leave is difficult, it is driven by the imperative to protect lives.
They condemned any notion of expelling non-locals, noting that all Kenyans have the constitutional right to live and work anywhere in the country. Instead, they called for unity among communities and stronger government action to restore peace.
Until the region is secure and the threat to life is eliminated, the unions maintain that no teacher should be asked to risk their life by returning to the classroom. As it stands, the safety and lives of educators remain paramount, and the schools will stay closed indefinitely.
