The government has deployed more than 100 armed police officers in more than 50 schools in the Kerio Valley following fresh banditry attacks.
Two regular police officers will guard each of the schools while GSU officers will patrol the valley in three amoured personnel carriers.
Elgeyo Marakwet Senator Kipchumba Murkomen has blamed poverty and unequal development for the fresh clashes.
Murkomen said banditry will undermine learning in schools.
Former Marakwet East MP Linah Kilimo said they have asked the government to facilitate dialogue between the communities to end violence instead of using force.
“Our children will have to drop out of schools if this problem is not solved. We should dialogue. We should not think use of guns will end this menace,”Kilimo said.
The leaders have also urged Deputy President William Ruto to intervene and help end the animosity.
They say situation threatens to undo the peace efforts he initiated.
However, some leaders from Elgeyo Marakwet and Pokot counties have disagreed over the banditry problem. They are blaming each other for attacks that have killed more than 30 people this year.
Sigor MP Philip Rotino said the blame game among leaders and communities will not help end banditry.
“We must accept that the Marakwets and Pokot are in the wrong because we have been staging raids to steal animals from each other,” Rotino said.
After a peace meeting on the Chesogon border, elders said they will travel to Nairobi and stage a hunger strike at Uhuru Park to seek audience with President Uhuru Kenyatta over the insecurity problem.
