By WINSTONE CHESEREMI
Sigor MP Peter Lochakapong has asked the government to move with speed and facilitate the reopening of five public schools among them two secondary schools in his area which were closed three days ago due to insecurity.
The affected learning institutions which are situated along the volatile border with the neighboring Marakwet East constituency in Elgeyo Marakwet County have remained deserted following renewed deadly banditry attack that left three people dead and one seriously injured with gun wounds.
The slain victims were riding on a boda boda cycle from Lomut trading centre to their home in West Pokot when they were attacked by the heavily armed bandits suspected to be from Marakwet East in an incident that worsened the security situation along the border of the two counties.
Rising cases of banditry
Speaking to Mwanahabari.co.ke today on phone, Lochakapong decried rising cases of banditry attacks in his area since his constituents surrendered their illegal firearms to the government.
He claimed the learners have fled to the highland with their parents in the wake of heightened tension that has gripped warring members of the Pokot and Marakwet communities.
The law makers urged the government to hasten the process of reopening the affected three primary and two secondary schools to enable the learners to catch up with the rest of their colleagues in other parts of the country.
“Since my people surrendered their guns to the government as directed by the Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i when he toured Kerio Valley two months ago to assess the security situation, they have become target of vicious attacks from our neighbors from Marakwet East who are still in possession of illegal firearms,” said Lochakapong.
Resume their normal lives
The attackers, he said, have turned the Chesegon area which borders the two counties into their route where they carry out deadly daylight raid missions.
“We have lost five people in just a single month and the sad part of it is that nobody has been arrested by the security personnel in
connection with the criminal activities,” said Lochakapong.
When contacted West Pokot County Commissioner Apolllo Okello said the government has already established a fully-fledged police post at Chesegon trading centre along the border of West Pokot and Elgeyo Marakwet as part of the measures to restore law and order in the region.
“I am urging parents who deserted their homes to return back and resume their normal lives since security has been restored at the
border of the two counties following the opening of a fully-fledged police post,” assured Okello.
He attributed the ravaging insecurity on the border of the two counties to illegal firearms, a situation he claimed has forced some learning institutions to remain closed due frequent attacks.