One dead, 13 students injured as bandits attack school buses in Elgeyo Marakwet

A driver died and 13 students along with two teachers were injured on Thursday night after bandits attacked a convoy of school buses in Kerio Valley.

Some of the injured are admitted to the Kapsowar hospital in critical condition.

The incident occurred at about 10 pm along the Arror-Mogil road near Tot in Elgeyo Marakwet County.

The students and the teachers were from an academic tour in a convoy of three buses belonging to Tot Day School, Kerio Valley School and Mogil school.

The buses were ambushed near Chesuman Primary School in Marakwet West as they were returning to Tot High School in Marakwet East.

The heavily armed bandits attacked the Mogil Secondary School bus, which was leading the convoy, killing the driver instantly.

The bandits indiscriminately sprayed bullets at the students and teachers in the vehicle.

Villagers rushed to the scene and rescued the injured.

Elgeyo Marakwet county commissioner John Korir confirmed the incident and is leading a security team to the area.

"These bandits must be found and brought to book. This is too much and unacceptable," said former IG Joseph Boinnet who visited the injured in the hospital.

The incident comes just three weeks before the national exams and panic has gripped residents over continued banditry attacks targeting children.

Elgeyo Marakwet Governor Alex Tolgos called on the government to act with seriousness and tame the attacks that have caused the death of more than 85 people in six months.

The government has planned to carry out forceful disarmament in the area to get illegal arms from civilians.

Heavy deployments of security teams have not scared the bandits who continue to carry out attacks almost on a daily basis.

(Edited by Mercy Asamba)