Rachuonyo South Deputy County Commissioner (DCC) Denis Kieti has assured Komabaka primary schoolfraternity that the government would pursue the robbers who brutally killed the school watchman and stole electronic devices from the school.
At the same time, Kieti has urged communities around schools to be vigilant against theft in the institutions now that the government is supplying electronic gadget for digital literacy.
“I know it might take time to catch these criminals but please let us be on the watch and incase of any clues, report immediately,” he said
The DCC said this in a speech delivered on his behalf by the Assistant County Commissioner (ACC) Mr. Waweru Karanja at Kombaka SDA primary school during a prayer gathering following the murder of the school guard on Monday night.
The ACC conveyed the DCC’s deepest sympathies to the school family saying what happened ‘does not show a good picture’.
“We have come here to mourn the death of our beloved hero caused by very ruthless thieves,” he said.
The school guard, 58 years -old Pius Oyoo Ogwel who was barely 3 days since being employed at the school, was brutally murdered during the robbery where the school’s projector and printer were also stolen.
The DCC told the community members that might know the people behind the incident to come forward and report in confidence saying the government would deal with the criminals as per the law.
The administrator also urged the teachers and the learners to stay strong both mentally and spiritually. “I know you are not trained to deal with such traumatizing incidents and we are organizing to have you taken through it,” he told the teachers.
The Sub County Director of Education Julius Opondo said as the Ministry of Education, they were working towards ensuring that learning progressed well especially in this era of the Competency Based Curriculum (CBC).
“We have delivered to schools the digital learning devices like the laptops, printers, tablets and projectors which we are in our schools for the first time but it is quite unfortunate that some individuals saw it right that we, the Kombaka community, don’t need them,” he said.
He called for continued prayers for the school and the local community to bring peace saying the murder of Ogwel, the school guard, should be the start of a reflection as he urged the community members to come together and guard against the stealing of school learning gadgets.
The director said the government is committed to ensuring seamless learning in all the schools in Rachuonyo South Sub County.
He said that the ministry is currently building classrooms in all the 38 primary schools for the junior secondary and Kombaka Primary was amongst them.
“This classrooms and all school equipment are neither for the head teacher nor the ministry of education but for our children. So let us protect them rather than destroying or stealing them,” he said.
The sub county director said as the ministry of education, we join Kombaka primary school fraternity as they mourn their fallen guard who was killed not only protecting the school but also the community,” he said.
The school’s head teacher Joseph Ogutu, while addressing the gathering said the schools’ security had been down and to reinforce its safety, they decided as the board to employ a security guard.
“However this took a wrong turn as the watchman who was hired was brutally killed barely three days into his work,” he said.
He narrated how that evening, before tragic death, they had talked with the guard and everything was going on quite well.
He says the school has faced a great loss both of the esteemed watchman and the junior secondary school equipment that they recently received from the government.
“This is a drawback to the school but we pray that everything will be restored and our school programme will continue as planned,” he said.
He also urged the community members to remain vigilant to keep the school protected telling them that the school was a catalyst for development of the community for it provided their children with the knowledge and skills that would help improve their lives in the future.
By Moseti Julius and Trema Ouma
