A group of high school students in the conflict-prone area of Laikipia West enjoyed exclusive military escort from a multi-agency team straight to their homes.
In a statement by the National Police Service (NPS), the students from Ol Moran Secondary School, were escorted by the multi-agency team of servicemen to their homes after the school closed at the end of the first term.
NPS explained that the Saturday, October 2, move was necessary to ensure that all the learners arrived home safely from the war-torn region that has experienced unrest in the last few months.
Photos seen by Kenyans.co.ke showed that the school's bus was ferrying the students to their homes while an armoured military vehicle followed closely behind.
"Multi-agency security teams in Laikipia County on Saturday escorted Ol Moran Secondary School students to their various homes in Lonyek, Laikipia North and Suguta Marmar in Samburu County."
"The students were returning home after a successful first term for this year's academic calendar," read the statement in part.
The School’s Principal, John Kimathi, thanked the troops for their proactiveness and readiness to support the community whenever called upon and urged them not to relent.
The schools were reopened in September after being closed for months following unrest in the region rising from banditry attacks.
The bandits had displaced hundreds of locals and left several people dead. According to Rift Valley Regional Commissioner, George Natembeya, the bandits have sophisticated weapons that are in some cases more superior to those used by the police service.
"While our officers are using AK47 and G3 rifles, the bandits (in Laikipia) are using M16s and other heavy machinery, which are usually used by foreign armies who come for training in Kenya."
"We don't know how they get these heavy weapons," stated Natembeya, while speaking to press.
After the operation was launched at the beginning of September, relative calmness was witnessed leading to the reopening of 16 schools that had closed over the skirmishes.
Interior CS Fred Matiang'i also personally visited the area to oversee the operation.
