Scores of non-local teachers in Garissa County are yet to report to respective schools in Ijara and Hulugho sub counties of Garissa County for fear of being targeted by Al-Shabaab insurgents.
Ijara Sub County branch Teachers Service Commission Director Mr Ali Kiin instructed all non-local teachers to report to area sub county education director for further direction. “Non-local teachers should report to sub county director of education for further instructions,” Kiin told KNA on phone.
He said all education stakeholders in the area and local security apparatus would meet urgently to chart the way forward.
However, Ijara and Hulugho KNUT branch Executive secretary Mr Noor sheikh instructed affected teachers not to report as their security was not guaranteed.
A spot check by KNA established that most secondary and primary schools were being manned by very few local teachers.
Early this week, all elected leaders from Garissa County led by area Governor, Ali Korane and Senator Yussuf Haji came together in a bid to address the security challenge posed by the Somalia based Al-Shabaab terror group.
In a meeting convened by Korane and also attended by the National Assembly Majority Leader, Aden Duale, the leaders condemned the recent attacks that claimed the lives of four pupils in Saretho and three non-local teachers in Kamuthe.
The leaders present included Members of Parliament, Sofia Abdinor (Ijara), Mohamed Dahiye (Dadaab), Abdikarim Osman (Fafi), Abdi Omar (Balambala), Mohamed Hire (Lagdera), nominated Senator, Falhatho Iman and former Balambala MP now EALA legislator, Abdikadir Omar. Also present were several MCAs, both Christian and Muslim clerics and senior security chiefs from the county.
Senator Haji said they will no longer engage in blame games but will forge a united front in ending sporadic attacks that have paralyzed education and other key sectors. “What has been happening can no longer be tolerated. We have engaged all the stakeholders and we are ready to engage these criminals head-on,” Haji said.
The Senator said local leaders will come up with resolutions to ensure the militants are gotten rid of in the region adding that they expect the government to support their proposals.
Following the attacks targeting mostly non local teachers, the TSC was forced to withdraw all non-local teachers from Fafi, Balambala, Ijara and Hulugho sub-counties and redeployed them to safer areas in the region.
However, the teachers declined the transfers saying ‘there is nowhere safe for non-local teachers within Garissa county schools.’
The Governor said they will engage with the national government to know the number of youths from the area who have joined armed groups and work towards returning them back.
“We will also work with national government to ensure our youth are not radicalized,” Korane said.
By Mohamed Dahir
