Armed school watchman shot dead, two others killed in crime-prone Baragoi

BARINGO: Three people were killed in Baragoi, Samburu North, in separate incidents on Tuesday evening.

A watchman at Baragoi Boys’ Secondary School was shot dead by unknown armed gunmen near the gate in the evening as he stepped out to go home.

Samburu County Security Co-ordinator Washington Ajuaga, who was in Baragoi Wednesday, said an unknown number of armed gangsters killed the watchman who was also a Kenya Police Reservist and stole his firearm.

He said another man was stabbed and died on the spot while the third victim was lynched in a retaliatory attack at Loilei village, few kilometres from Baragoi town.

Two weeks ago, security personnel were sent to man Baragoi Secondary School following recent attacks targeting school watchmen.

Meanwhile, more than 27 primary and secondary schools in Baringo South and Baringo North sub-counties have been closed due to insecurity linked to cattle rustling.

Thousands have fled their home since last month’s massacre in Nadome village along the border between Baringo and Turkana counties that sparked public outrage.

Operations in health facilities have also been affected and property worth millions of shillings destroyed.

Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut), Baringo County chapter, indicates that over 38,000 school-going children have been kept out of school due to insecurity.

Another 6,700 college and university students have also been affected while 15,000 residents from Baringo South and Baringo North sub-counties have fled their homes.

Charles Kamuren, the Knut executive secretary, said the Government should take immediate action to avert a looming crisis.

“The future of our children is at stake. We risk a generational gap if we don’t do something now,” said Kamuren.

According to him, since the beginning of last year, more than 100 people, among them 25 police officers, have been killed and more than 20,000 people displaced from their homes in Marigat and Baringo North sub-counties due to banditry.

Deserted learning institutions depict an image of education suffering from sporadic attacks by armed bandits.

Rift Valley Regional Co-ordinator Osman Warfa announced an elaborate plan by the national government, through National Youth Service (NYS), to reconstruct vandalised schools and destroyed homes when normalcy returns to the region.

He said NYS was expected in the affected areas anytime and urged the residents to support the Government to fast-track the exercise.

“This county has the largest number of security officers in the country. The challenge at hand is enormous, it requires all of us to fix it now and then,” said Warfa.

-Reports by Boaz Kipng’eno, Michael Saitoto and Vincent Mabatuk