The bandit attack on three school buses in Elgeyo Marakwet that left a number of students injured is very unfortunate.
According to the National Police Service, the bandits indiscriminately sprayed bullets at the buses, injuring 15 passengers, 13 students and two teachers. The driver of one of the buses died.
Such attacks, especially targeting innocent students, should be condemned.
The incident is also a pointer to the insecurity in some parts of our country. Bandits should not have a place in our society. They should not be allowed to terrorise innocent people in any part of the country.
That is why the government must deploy all resources available to hunt down such criminal gangs.
But even as we call on government to do its core duty of offering security for everyone, institutions such as schools must adhere to policies in place.
For instance, there is an existing Ministry of Education policy on school transport beyond 6pm.
This attack, which happened at about 10pm, would have been avoided by following this policy.
The Ministry of Education should act tough and deal ruthlessly with any headteacher violating any of the policies in place.
The ministry should work hand in hand with the police to ensure those flouting the rules are arrested and prosecuted accordingly.
This should not be a one-off exercise, it should be the practice.
Quote of the Day: “Greed and cruelty are pretty widely distributed throughout humanity, as are their victims.”
Sidney Poitier
The Bahamian-American actor and director was born on February 20, 1927
