Police scale up security in Baringo after Tot High School students’ attack
Security has been beefed in Baringo County after school buses ferrying students from Tot High School were sprayed with bullets by bandits yesterday evening.
A driver, two teachers and 13 students of Tot High School were yesterday attacked on the Arror-Mogil Road at Kerio Valley, Elgeyo Marakwet County at 10:30pm.
Through a statement, Police spokesperson Bruno Shioso described the attack as “callous and irresponsible”.
“The attack was callous, irresponsible and cowardly. Targeting innocent passengers, especially school children, is unacceptable and the National Police Service shall continue to deploy all resources and strategies at its disposal to arrest all acts of criminality targeting innocent citizens,” said Shioso.
“Currently, a Multi-Agency Security Operation Team is pursuing the bandits,” added the police spokesperson.
The service has blamed Tot High School principal for allowing the school bus to operate past 6pm, which is unacceptable as per government rules.
“This unfortunate attack could have been avoided if the school administration had exercised caution and complied with existing Ministry of Education policy on school transport beyond 6pm. The National Police Service is therefore investigating the incident with a view of holding the school administration responsible for their complicity in the attack,” said Shioso.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i described the attack as an act of negligence, saying the operation of school buses from 6pm was banned and the ban remains in force.
While speaking at the Kenya School of Government in Kabete earlier today, said he has ordered the arrest and prosecution of Tot High School principal.
“There is a government policy restricting travel of school buses beyond 6:30pm. In the Tot incident, the school administrators were in clear violation of the stipulated policy,” Matiang’i said.
“The fact that the area of the incident is prone to bandit attacks should have informed more caution by the school administration,” he added.
Education CS George Magoha, who was present at the Kenya School of Government, asked school heads to direct school buses to nearby police stations should 6:30pm find learners in transit.
“Our children’s safety is the government’s number one priority,” he said.
The students were in three buses, one belonging to their institution, one from Kerio Valley Secondary school and another from Mogil Secondary School
Two teachers also sustained injuries in the shooting that happened last night near Chesuman Primary School along Arror-Mogil Road.
Elgeyo Marakwet police commander Patrick Lumumba said the injured were recuperating at Eldoret-based Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH), Mediheal Hospital and Kapsowar AIC Mission Hospital.
“There is tension in the area. Police officers were deployed to evacuate the injured students and teachers to hospitals. Our officers are still at the scene,” Lumumba said.
MTRH CEO Wilson Aruasa said two students injured in the attack were brought to the facility at 2am on Friday.
“Two students from Tot were brought into the facility with gunshot injuries; one to the chest and the other to the right axilla. Surgery was done and both are stable,” Aruasa said.
