Mandongoi Primary School in Mwingi North, Kitui county has been put under 24-hour security watch following the volatile security situation in the neighbourhood.
On Friday, Kyuso subcounty police commander Nicholas Mutua said the school in the marginal Ngomeni ward, was currently being policed round the clock.
“The officers are stationed at the school round the clock. We took the action to assure learners and teachers of their security in the wake of attacks on residents by armed camel herders who have encroached into the area,” Mutua said.
He said the Mandongoi school community had panicked due to daily sporadic bursts of gun-fire in the neighbourhood since last weekend and a simi attack on a resident by a herder. The herders are from Northeastern region.
As the insecurity situation escalated last weekend, learners fled with their families into the bush and other safer areas in fear. Consequently on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday they stayed away paralysing learning.
But when word spread in the area that security officers had been stationed at the school, some of the about 400 learners have slowly started streaming back from their hideouts.
A parent, Jeremiah Nyayo, said on Thursday all the teachers have returned to school but only 26 learners showed up.
"Since some pupils are forced to walk about 15km to school, they fear that they may be accosted by the armed herders either on their way to school or as they get back to their hideouts,” said Nyayo who is a local cleric.
