Over 200 displaced by insecurity in West Pokot-Elgeyo Marakwet border

At least 200 people have fled their homesteads due to insecurity at Chesosgon, the troubled border of West Pokot and Elgeyo Marakwet counties.

Joshua Lomotum, the Chesogon Primary School head teacher, said the deteriorating security had forced several families to flee.

Those affected have moved to safer areas in Lumut and Chesta, where they are starving, as food and water are scarce.

“Many people have fled their homes due to insecurity. Learning has been affected because some children have dropped out,’’ said Mr Lomotum.

Despite assurance from the State that adequate security would be provided to residents, insecurity has continued.

He cited the latest incident where a pupil was shot dead by bandits as he stepped out of the school compound, which is less than 100 metres from a police post.

“We are not secure here. Most children have dropped out since their parents have fled. We were promised that our schools will be protected but this has not been done. One of our pupils was killed in January at the gate of the school,” he Lomotum.

Cheptulel and Chesogon primary schools have been hit by the ethnic skirmishes and over 300 pupils are out of school.

John Lokapong, the head teacher of Cheptulel, said learning had been disrupted by the violence and that most pupils were not reporting to school.

Cheptulel Girls School which started last year and enrolled 115 students has only 26 students due to insecurity.

Residents claimed that more than 50 people have been killed since 2016 and that production of mangoes, one of the key economic activities and source of living, has gone down.

A spot-check by The Standard indicated that insecurity has forced residents to abandon economic activities such as farming of vegetables and fruits.

Geoffrey Kisur, who moved to Chesta with his family, said he was unable to feed his family of   seven.

But West Pokot County Commissioner Apollo Okello said there was calm in the area after the Goverment deployed police officers to provide security to the residents.

Mr Okello said he was unaware there were people who had fled their homes due to insecurity, adding those who had moved had done so of their own accord.