Learning in schools within Ol Moran area, Laikipia West, resumed on Monday, September 13, after the government ordered parents to take learners to school.

Residents in the area stated that most students and teachers were yet to resume for fear of attacks by bandits despite the heavy deployment of officers.

A teacher from Ol Moran High School Wachira told said that on Tuesday, only 10 teachers out of a population of about 30 resumed school. He added that out of about 760 students, only 190 reported to schools.

“We are hoping the numbers will increase because the government had deployed security officers within the vicinity of the schools,” Wachira said.

Wachira acknowledged that some students were still traumatized, hence, the school had organised counselling sessions in a bid to assist them to return to normalcy.

“They have trauma and bad memories but the Red Cross officers and psychologists are talking to them to try and understand their state of mind,” he added.

He added that Laikipia Governor Ndiritu Muriithi had been camping around the area helping to rebuild homes that had been burnt down by the bandits.

“Some of the students lost their homes and are staying in camps, catholic churches, hence, their homes have to be rebuilt,” he stated.

Mutuma Marete, a secondary school teacher in another part of Laikipia West, reiterated Muriithi’s sentiments saying that some teachers were yet to resume classes, fearing for their lives. 

“The students in my opinion are finding the whole issue of police presence a new thing but I don’t think they are intimidated…teachers can not be intimidated because they are fully aware of the importance of having security in schools,” Marete stated.

During his visit in the area on September 10, 2021, Interior CS Fred Matiang’i announced that the Ol-Moran, Sipili, and Ol-Ng’arua areas in Laikipia will be merged to become one district zone called Kirima District that will be manned by the special commando forces.

The CS sounded a warning to residents saying that residents should observe curfew hours.

“You will not have a chance to explain yourself when found outside past the 6 pm curfew,” Matiang’i stated.

The CS oversaw the distribution of food items and relief materials to the families whose houses had been torched.

As at September 8, 2021, Rift Valley Regional Commissioner George Natembeya disclosed that eight people, among them three police officers, had been killed in Laikipia West insecurity.

The commissioner raised concerns over the supply of weapons to morans and suspected that their weapons were more sophisticated.

On Tuesday, September 14, Matiang’i urged civilians to surrender their illegal firearms in line with the African Union’s September Amnesty month for the surrender of illicitly held arms.

“Members of the public have an obligation to corporate with the security agencies in the course of the nationwide activity,” Matiang’i stated.