By Susan Makena
Learning has been suspended in four public schools in Isiolo’s Oldonyiro Sub-County after a violent attack that left teacher with injuries.
Mr Robert Kinyua, a teacher at Lenguinyi Primary School, was attacked by unknown people on Tuesday while walking home for lunch from the school compound leaving him with serious injuries.
Reports indicate that the assailants also made away with his motorbike after the attack.
Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) Isiolo Branch Chairperson Timothy Kimathi said the unions would not allow teachers to return to the affected institutions until the government demonstrated their safety can be guaranteed.
“This is not an isolated incident, and until this issue is resolved, the affected schools will remain closed because this is not an isolated case of teachers being attacked in the area,” Kimathi said.
The incident has disrupted learning at Kipsing, Lenguinyi, Lenguruma and Nkoroi schools, where KNUT instructed their teachers to vacate until further.
Kimathi said teachers had endured repeated attacks over the years, including the killing of a Leparua Secondary School teacher earlier this year, with little progress made in bringing those responsible to justice.
“Insecurity has never been part of the contracts we signed. Our members cannot continue risking their lives simply to report to work,” he said.
KNUT Isiolo Executive Secretary Hassan Diba said the latest attack was evidence of worsening insecurity in parts of Isiolo County, accusing the government of failing to protect teachers despite repeated appeals.
“A teacher must be protected in order to provide quality education to learners. Both the national and county governments have a responsibility to ensure our members are safe wherever they are posted,” Diba said.
According to the union, 50 non-local teachers had been withdrawn from the four learning institutions with only nine locals remaining in the area.
Diba said the union had resolved that learning would not resume until those behind the attack are arrested and the stolen motorcycle recovered.
“We have lost teachers before, others have been attacked, yet justice has remained elusive. We cannot continue exposing our members to danger while those responsible roams free,” he said.
He added that if authorities are unable to restore security, teachers should be transferred to safer stations.
“If these communities cannot guarantee the safety of non-local teachers, then the Teachers Service Commission should deploy local teachers there and transfer our members to places where they can work without fear,” he said.
KUPPET Isiolo Executive Secretary Kimwere Moses echoed KNUT’s concerns, saying the attacks appeared to target teachers posted from outside the area.
Moses argued that deploying teachers from the local community to schools in high-risk areas could help reduce insecurity-related disruptions, noting that similar arrangements have worked in other parts of the country.
“If the community is not ready to peacefully coexist with non local teachers then those from within them teach their children. It has worked elsewhere and can work in Oldonyiro Sub-County,” said Mr Kimwere.
