The Rift Valley Regional Coordinator Maalim Mohamed has challenged his boss, Interior Cabinet Secretary (CS) Fred Matiang’I over the attack on three school buses in Kerio Valley late last week which claimed several lives.
Despite Matiang’I’s announcement on Friday that Tot Secondary School principal Simon Mahongu will be detained for violating the Ministry of Education’s night travel order, Mohamed has asserted that the principal will not be arrested.
“Principal is at his work station carrying out his daily tasks. We do not want to create unnecessary tension, as the students are already traumatised following the attack,” said Mohamed.
He claimed that because the principal is a centre manager, arresting him during the test season would be very impossible.
He assured the children of their safety noting that armed security personnel are on duty 24 hours a day, seven days a week at the school.
“We have already engaged experts, who are counselling the students and teaching fraternity,” said the administrator.
In preparation for the upcoming national examination, Mohamed has called a conference with all County Commissioners and principals from all the banditry-prone counties in the Rift Valley.
Matiang’I accused the principal of failing to avert the attack by permitting school buses to operate beyond authorized hours.
He issued the orders amid a spotlight on failure by security agencies to tame insecurity in the volatile Kerio Valley after students from Tot High School returning from a school trip became the latest victims of insecurity in the region.
The CS has sought authorisation from the National Security Council to declare warriors operating along the Kerio Valley as an ‘outlawed organisation’ is a move in the right direction.
The insecurity along the Kerio Valley that has led to loss of many lives, destroyed education, health and other aspects of social life is now getting out of hand.
Killing of innocent people including women, teachers, students and children is now the order of the day despite the presence of security personnel, an indication that it’s no longer the normal cattle-rustling.
