Two primary school pupils and a herder are nursing injuries after they were shot and injured by bandits in Kerio Valley.
The three were seriously injured at Samar Village in Marakwet West. The pupils were attacked as they headed to school.
They are pupils at Barsumbat and Chepkum primary schools in the area.
The three are undergoing treatment at Iten County referral hospital and at AIC Kapsowar mission hospital where they have undergone surgeries after sustaining injuries on the neck, arm and pelvic.
Local leaders led by former Keiyo South MP Jackson Kiptanui have hit out at the government for failing to stem out the escalating insecurity in Kerio Valley which has claimed the lives of over 60 people in the past five months.
Kiptanui who visited the area said the senseless killings in the region were unacceptable and must be stopped.
The former MP, who is running for Elgeyo Marakwet gubernatorial seat in the August General Elections, proposed radical and long term proposals to help end banditry attacks in the Kerio Valley region.
He said it is disheartening to see lives and property lost each day and yet there is a government in place.
“The National Police Reservists should be hired, trained and deployed in their numbers by the national government to help protect communities,” said Mr Kiptanui said.
The former MP and local leaders have been addressing peace meetings in the area.
“The government is being insensitive to the suffering of residents in the hands of bandits who are killing with great abandon,” he said.
"We have made several proposals on the insecurity problem but we have been ignored," he added.
The former lawmaker said the county should heavily invest in infrastructure including the purchase of hard terrain vehicles to help handle the security issues.
Marakwet East MP Bowen Kangogo also condemned the attacks.
Rift Valley regional coordinator George Natembeya said the government had deployed two police officers to each of the schools in the affected areas to help protect children and teachers.
-Edited by B.Marita
