Teachers' union officials speaking in Iten town on May 23, 2025./PHOTO: MATHEWS NDANYILearning has come to a halt in more than 20 schools across the volatile Kerio Valley after teachers’ unions withdrew their members over rising insecurity in the region.
The Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) and the Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (Kuppet) announced the decision following the recent killing of Catholic priest Fr. Allois Cheruiyot Bett, who was shot dead while returning from celebrating mass in Kakiptul on Thursday.
John Cheberi, Knut Secretary for the Marakwet branch, and Paul Biwott, Kuppet Secretary in Elgeyo Marakwet County, said the situation has become too dangerous for teachers, especially non-locals, who they claim are now being deliberately targeted by armed criminals and bandits.
“We have decided to withdraw the teachers because of serious security concerns in the region,” said Cheberi.
“Three non-local security officers have also been killed recently. It’s clear that this violence is not random.”
The killing of Fr. Bett has shaken the community and prompted a dusk-to-dawn curfew in parts of Kerio Valley.
Teachers' union officials speaking in Iten town on May 23, 2025./PHOTO: MATHEWS NDANYIKerio Valley Sub-County Deputy County Commissioner Amonde confirmed the curfew, assuring residents that security operations had been intensified.
“We are doing all it takes to regain normalcy,” he said.
The unions say they are not willing to risk the lives of their members while the threat of targeted violence looms.
“As Knut and Kuppet, we condemn in the strongest terms the killing of Father Bett, who was a friend to many and a pillar in our community. It is deeply disturbing that such an innocent man of God would be targeted,” said Biwott.
The incident has sparked renewed calls for government action.
Both unions have petitioned Cabinet Secretary for Security Kipchumba Murkomen to take decisive steps to eliminate banditry in the region once and for all.
“We must see tough action against these bandits who have made life unbearable for everyone in Kerio Valley,” Cheberi added.
As the investigation continues, residents, teachers, and leaders are united in grief—and increasingly vocal in their demand for lasting security solutions.
For now, classrooms remain empty, and uncertainty hangs over the region’s schools
