Loramoru Primary School, which was reopened two years ago after being closed for 13 years due to insecurity, was demolished on Saturday midnight by alleged Kenya Forest Service (KFS) officers. The officers claimed that the school had been constructed inside the gazetted Mukutani Forest.
Parents and teachers who were preparing for the reopening of schools were left in shock after finding the institution flattened. The school had attracted learners from both the Pokot and Tugen communities and was viewed as a key peace-building initiative following years of deadly conflicts that had left the area deserted. Residents were left wondering about their next move, uncertain where to begin.
It is reported that KFS officers arrived at the school in seven Toyota Land Cruisers and a lorry, armed with axes, power saws and mallets. The officers allegedly carried out the demolition exercise for nearly two hours, flattening the staffroom, teachers’ quarters and the school store. Food supplies and remaining construction materials were reportedly taken away.
During a visit to the scene, parents and teachers were found at the school alongside Baringo leaders who had come to assess the situation. The leaders questioned why one arm of the government had reconstructed the school as part of a resettlement programme, while another arm was demolishing it and evicting families who had returned after relative calm was restored.
Two years ago, when the school was reconstructed after years of closure, parents celebrated the development, viewing it as a foundation for peaceful coexistence and cohesion in a community that had suffered bloodshed and loss of lives. The school stood as a symbol of unity and newly found peace in an area once known as a battleground for bandits.
The school’s headteacher, Joseph Kiprop, said the institution had been duly registered by the government and that enrolment had been steadily increasing as the community embraced education as a pathway to transformation from radicalization and banditry. He added that the alleged KFS officers took away the school’s registration certificate and other facilities during the demolition.
Parents expressed their displeasure, questioning why the government was handling such a sensitive matter in a conflicting manner. They vowed to continue taking their children to school, even if learning has to take place under trees.
Baringo leaders led by Baringo South MP Charles Kamuren, Senator Kiprono Chemitie, Mogotio MP Reuben Kiborek and Woman Representative Florence Jematia condemned the incident. They warned that the prevailing peace should not be tampered with after residents had been displaced for 13 years. The leaders noted that while the government has invested heavily in restoring security in the area, it is now undermining resettlement efforts through contradictory actions.
