By:Betty Luke
Isiolo KNUT Executive Secretary Hassan Diba and other officials address journalists in Isiolo town. PHOTO/Kilele Media
At least 50 non-local teachers have been withdrawn from four schools in Isiolo’s Oldonyiro Sub-County following an attack that left one of their colleagues nursing life-threatening injuries, forcing the indefinite suspension of learning.
The Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) Isiolo Branch announced the withdrawal following Tuesday’s attack on Robert Kinyua, a teacher at Lengwenyi Primary School, who was ambushed by raiders while heading home for lunch.
The attackers seriously injured him and stole his motorcycle.
The other affected schools are Kipsing, Lenguruma and Noroi primary schools, where learning has been suspended until further notice.
Speaking during a press briefing, KNUT County Executive Secretary Hassan Diba condemned the escalating insecurity, saying teachers cannot continue working in areas where their lives are under constant threat.
“A teacher must be protected so they can provide services to learners. It is the responsibility of both the national and county governments to ensure the safety and security of teachers,” said Diba.
He said the withdrawal affects 50 non-local teachers, noting that out of the 59 teachers serving in the area, only nine are locals.
Diba lamented what he described as a gradual breakdown of the rule of law in Isiolo, saying teachers have repeatedly been attacked and even killed by bandits with little action taken against those responsible.
“Each term we have teachers being attacked or killed by bandits, yet no one has been brought to justice. We will not allow learning to resume until the suspects are arrested and the stolen property is recovered,” he said.
The Union’s County Chairperson Timothy Kimathi the Tuesday attack was not an isolated case recalling a lost who lost his life following a bandit attack earlier this year.
“This is not an isolated incident. Insecurity has never been part of the contracts that we signed and therefore we will not sit and watch pur colleagues continue losing their lives,” said Kimathi.
He warned that the affected schools would remain closed until the government guaranteed the safety of teachers.
“We cannot joke with the security of our teachers. If insecurity is not resolved, these schools will remain closed,” he said.
The Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) backed the decision, saying non-local teachers have increasingly become targets of attacks in Oldonyiro Sub-County.
KUPPET Isiolo Executive Secretary Kimwere Moses said the two unions had agreed with the County Commissioner that all pending security concerns affecting teachers must be addressed before they can return to work.
“The pattern is that non-local teachers are the ones being attacked. Let local teachers be deployed to teach in those areas. It has worked elsewhere, and that is what we are proposing,” said Moses.
He warned that many teachers may refuse to report back to the affected schools next term unless the government takes decisive action to restore security.
