• Unionist laments that Kapedo has been forgotten for a long time and teachers, as well as learners, have been killed
• Kapedo is historically a battlefield with 21 police officers killed by bandits in 2014
Knut Turkana branch chairperson Kenyaman Ariong'o has called for the closure of schools after bandit raids on Sunday and Monday.
The raids, in which a police reservist was shot, happened a week after the government withdrew and unregistered all firearms in the hands of 180 National Police Reservists.
Kapedo is historically a battlefield. Twenty-one police officers were killed by bandits in 2014.
"Today I am a very sad man because of what is happening in Kapedo village, Turkana South. Kapedo is under siege after police reservists were disarmed. They act as security agents in the region by protecting residents and their properties such as livestock and other resources," Ariong'o said.
The unionist lamented that Kapedo has been forgotten in spite of insecurity in teachers and learners have died.
He said the attacks have become frequent following the disarmament of police reservists and residents are worried.
He said every citizen has a constitutional right to state protection and schools should be closed for the sake of security of teachers and learners.
"Teachers and learners in Kapedo should stay indoors to be safe as the GSU camp, AP camp and RDU deployed in the region are not offering any support to the community," Ariong'o said.
He complained that since Interior CS Fred Matiang'i took office, he has never been to Turkana.
He urged the CS to deploy more security officers in the region.
Lodwar Catholic Diocese Bishop Dominic Kimingich said the disarmament should target all those who have illegal guns across all communities and not a single tribe.
"It can never be one-sided. We also insist that the government should provide adequate security to protect the disarmed communities just like the Uganda government has done in Karamoja.
"Real disarmament has to begin in the minds and hearts. It is not just about removing the guns," he said.