The Kenya Defense Forces on Wednesday airlifted more students from Boni schools within Mararani, Mangai, Basuba and Milimani in Lamu County to join schools over insecurity.
The students were airlifted from their respective villages to join Arid Zone Junior secondary school, Mokowe, courtesy of Operation Amani Boni (OAB)
The students are set to join their fellows after completing the first level of the new Education System, CBC.
KDF said the students were received at Mokowe airstrip by the local administration officials led by the area Chief Khalifa Alwy and parents.
“They thanked KDF for their continued support not only in the Education sector but also in other spheres of life with the sole aim of uplifting the social status of the marginalised group,” KDF said.
The airlifting of students is part of the local populace-centred approach taken by OAB in partnership with other local actors to uplift the livelihood of the residents as well as fight against violent extremism.
The area has been facing security challenges with al-Shabaab terrorists targeting security vehicles and some villages.
The terrorists are targeting projects including the Lapsset port and road.
A Chinese company is constructing the Bura-Garissa road connecting Tana River and Kilifi counties.
The road will lead to Garissa, Isiolo and later to Ethiopia and South Sudan.
The construction comprises of 257 km Lamu-Ijara-Garissa section, which is part of the Lapsset project. Also, the 113-kilometre Hindi-Bodhei-Basuba-Kiunga section and the 83-km Ijara-Sangailu-Hulugho section.
Local police officials said they had deployed more personnel to pursue the gang operating in the expansive Boni Forest.
Kenya began the construction of the 700-kilometre-long wall in 2015 to stop the militants from crossing into and out of Kenya.
The wall, which is known as the Kenya-Somalia border securitisation project is among others meant to secure the country from attacks by the Somalia-based al Shabaab terrorists.
The project plan includes having designated immigration and custom entry points with a two-foot-tall concrete wall fitted with CCTV cameras.
