State urged to assure learners of security in banditry prone areas

The Government has been urged to assure learners in the volatile parts of Laikipia County of security as they prepare to sit for the national examinations from next week.

Residents and elders from the region have said that the government should put in place a raft of measures to ensure the candidates especially in the insecurity prone areas of Laikipia West and Laikipia North write their examination without interference by the gun-wielding bandits wreaking havoc in the region.

Led by Laikipia peace ambassador, Simon Wang’ombe, the residents have said that learners from the region should be assured of their safety as they sat for the National examination to ensure that they were at par with their counterparts from other regions.

Speaking at Njorua area in Laikipia West during a peace consultative meeting the residents express fears that the attacks that were being occasioned by livestock theft could lead to the interruption of the National examinations exercise.

They at the same time called on leaders from the region who have been reportedly inciting their communities in the wake of banditry attacks in the area to stop inciting their communities to cause violence.

This is even as the authorities remain on high alert to ensure that normalcy returns in the volatile Ol Moran and Githiga areas.

Mr Wang’ombe who led a host of elders from Pokot, Kikuyu, Samburu, Turkana and Kalenjin communities in a peace meeting said that communities needed to minimize cases of conflicts. 

The elders insisted that there is a need for political leaders to weigh in and assist in restoring calm. 

The elders pointed out boundaries and resources as the main cause of conflict in the restive area which on many occasions’ have led to temporary closure of learning institutions and disruption of learning activities.