Insecurity has forced students at Mandongoi Primary School in Mwingi North sub-county, Kitui, out of school. Following a raid last Friday by armed herders from the North Eastern region at Kiseuni village in Mandongoi, during which a boy’s arm was shattered by a bullet, many residents and schoolchildren have fled the area, fearing for their safety.
A visit by journalists to Mandongoi Primary School on Tuesday afternoon revealed a deserted campus. The school gate was locked, and classrooms remained empty. Headteacher Joel Maundu, who arrived at the school after learning of the journalists’ presence, said the insecurity has severely disrupted learning.
“You can imagine that we have a population of 527 pupils, and only seven of them came to school today. Additionally, only four teachers came to school, as they too fear for their lives,” Maundu said. He noted that the number of students attending had decreased from 20 on Monday to just seven on Tuesday. He also mentioned that another four schools in the vicinity were similarly deserted.
Maundu called on the government to restore security and reassure residents so they can return home and allow their children to go back to school. “Incidences of banditry attacks have historically caused our pupils to perform poorly in KCPE. Given the current disruption, I am concerned that the standard six pupils may not perform well in the 2024 KEPSEA examination,” he said.
Jeremiah Nyayo, a member of the school board of management, highlighted that displaced children are vulnerable to social issues such as immorality, teenage pregnancies, and drug abuse.
Kitui County Commissioner Kipchumba Rutto, who led the county security team to assess the situation following the attack, assured locals of their safety. “I urge the police to ensure sufficient security so that pupils can return to school and continue learning. It is unacceptable for learners to be out of school,” Rutto said at a security meeting at Mandongoi trading center. He also assured residents that a security operation would be conducted to remove the armed herders from North Eastern Kitui County.
