Parliamentary committee raises concern over increased insecurity

The Parliamentary Committee on Education, Research and Technology has expressed deep concern over the growing insecurity in parts of the country and asked the government to fulfill its responsibility in this regard.

Committee members led by Chairperson and Murang’a County Women Representative Sabina Chege asked the government to appropriately respond to the growing insecurity cases in the North Rift and parts of northern Kenya.

The MPs said the recent ethnic conflict that left at least 50 people dead in North Rift and the killing of 147 university students in Garissa by militant groups is an indication that the government needs to get serious and secure Kenyans.

The MPs urged the warring communities in the North Rift to stop the pointless fighting and hostilities and embrace peace.

‘We are convinced on the need to stop hostilities because nothing good comes out of war but death and destruction’ said Chege.

Speaking last evening to Kenya News Agency at the close of a two day consultative meeting between the parliamentarians and senior Ministry of Education officials led by Cabinet Secretary Prof. Jacob Kaimenyi, the legislators warned the wave of insecurity will derail learning programmes in schools as teachers and students fear for their lives.

‘Frequent conflicts among pastoralist communities in Turkana, Baringo, Samburu and West Pokot counties and the threat of Al-Shabaab in Garissa, Wajir and Mandera counties will prevent thousands of children from enrolling in schools’ said Chege during the interview at Serena Hotel in Mombasa.

She added ‘fighting will worsen educational standards in the affected counties and the country’s dream of basic education for all would not be realized’.

‘The government must begin to get serious to stop the country from descending into the abyss of insecurity’ she said.

Igembe North Constituency MP Joseph M’uthari and member of the parliamentary education committee who flanked Chege during the press briefing asked the government to deploy adequate resources and equipment needed by the security agencies to arrest the security challenge.

He blamed the high rate of unemployment among the young people for the upsurge in criminal activities.

‘The government needs to get serious and contain the frequent raids in the North Rift and the threat posed by militant groups such as Al-Shabaab’ he said.

KBC news