Students from Entonet primary school in Oloitokitok, Kajiado county, paid homage to their fallen peers from Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, US, where 19 learners and two teachers were killed by a lone gunman.
According to an international news outlet, Uvalde Leader News, the primary school children felt aggrieved by the situation that occurred in the elementary school and moved to plant trees in memory of the fallen ones.
Through a non-profit environmental organisation called Greening Oloitokitok, the children took it upon themselves to plant 21 tree saplings; 19 for the victims, one for the children who survived and one for the Uvalde community.
According to the organisation's founder, Rose Nyokabi, the children felt a connection to the fallen victims and expressed a desire to pay a special tribute to the victims and their families.
"We send our condolences to you and hope that peace will surround all of you,” Nyokabi stated.
"Currently, the majority of the trees were planted at their school while the remaining will be planted at a nearby institution, Shilishili primary school."
Nyokabi lauded the foundation for the project, noting that in two years, adults and children had planted over 70,000 trees.
"As well children in elementary schools in Uvalde will now always have a connection to the children at Entonet Primary School and one other yet to be determined in Oloitokitok, Kenya."
Robbe Elementary school shooting
On May 24, 2022, an 18-year-old gunman fatally shot 21 victims and wounded 17 others at the Uvalde-based school. Reports indicated that the gunman had initially shot his grandmother in the face before proceeding to the school.
The incident caught the media's attention, reviving the debate on gun violence as well as the law enforcement's failure to intervene during the attack.
Police reports indicated that the officers fatally shot the gunman while still at the scene of the crime.
