School children in West Pokot County have a reason to smile as the government is set to begin rehabilitation of schools abandoned due to bandit attacks.
Interior and National Administration CS Kithure Kindiki on Wednesday announced that works on the affected schools will start on Thursday to make them ready for reopening in January 2024z
“Rehabilitation of schools that were vandalised by bandits will start tomorrow ( Thursday). By the end of December, schools should be ready to receive students back,” he said.
The CS highlighted that the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) and National Youth Service( NYS)will be on site to rehabilitate the schools.
To ensure every stakeholder in the area participates, local communities will be engaged in the reconstruction exercise.
Some of the targetted schools include Chesegon Primary School, Cheptulel Primary School, Cheptulel Boys Secondary School, Sapulmoi Primary School and Kisaa ECD in Pokot Central Sub-County, Lonyangalem Primary School, Kour Primary School and Songok Primary School in Pokot North Sub-County and Karon Primary School in Pokot West Sub-County.
CS Kindiki was speaking. at Cheptulel Boys Secondary School, Sigor Constituency, West Pokot County where he made a security assessment of the abandoned schools to facilitate the commencement of rehabilitation works for reopening and resumption of learning in line with the Government of Kenya policy to ensure all children access education
In May, the government allocated Sh100 million for the rehabilitation of about 50 schools that were damaged by bandits.
The schools were in Baringo, Elgeyo Marakwet, Turkana, West Pokot, Samburu and Laikipia Counties
The funds were released in phases hence the commencement of rehabilitation in West Pokot.
Going further, to boost security at the border areas where West Pokot County intersects with Baringo, Elgeyo Marakwet and Turkana Counties, the training of 205 National Police Reservists (NPR) will also commence on Thursday at Chesta Teachers College Grounds in Sigor Constituency.
CS Kindiki noted that part of the NPRs recruited will be allocated duties of guarding the reopened schools
Also after the training, the NPRs will be deployed to supplement the role of the National Police Service (NPS) and the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) as Operation Maliza Uhalifu moves into its second year.
In addition, the Interior boss called on the public to avoid ethnic, political and sectarian characterisation of security matters and provide space for security agencies to discharge their responsibility without any interference whatsoever.