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Four schools closed early as tension rises
Story by NATION Reporter and Correspondent
Publication Date: 4/4/2007
At least four schools were closed Tuesday due to heightened tension in clashes-torn Mt Elgon District.
The schools are in Kapsokwony Town where six people, including a school teacher, were killed in fresh violence on Monday night.
The closure of Kabwera and Kapsokwony primary schools, Cheptigat Academy and Kapsokwony High School brought to 24 the number of schools closed in the district since land clashes started six months ago.
Close to 2,000 pupils were sent home after it emerged that they were not assured of their security. Most families had by yesterday fled to neighbouring Kimilili constituency.
The schools were to officially close tomorrow for the April holidays.
Five teachers and three pupils have died in the violence that a 600-strong security force has failed to stop.
More than 10,000 pupils spent the whole of First Term at home due to insecurity.
Clan animosities have persisted at the Chebyuk settlement scheme where the 600 officers were posted in January.
More than 100 people have lost their lives due to fighting at the farm that pits the Soy and Ndorobo clans.
Education permanent secretary Karega Mutahi recently described the Mt Elgon crisis as a big challenge, saying there was little his ministry could do unless security was restored.
The money set aside for the schools as part of the free primary education programme is still in the schools’ bank accounts.
Restore order
“We can only ask the local district commissioner and security teams to move fast and restore order so that we can have our children back in schools,” the PS said on phone.
The disputed Chebyuk forest has 33 schools with 17,000 pupils. Of these, 13,000 have been displaced, but 3,412 were admitted to other public schools.
The secretary of the Kenya National Union of Teachers, Mt Elgon branch, Mr Willy Maasai, has threatened to ask teachers not to report to schools in the second term if peace is not restored.
During last year’s Standard Eight exams, candidates in affected schools sat their exams in neighbouring
schools.
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