No Helicopter Rides for Teachers to Terror-Prone Schools in Boni Forest
Teachers teaching in the terror-prone Boni Forest have been advised to find alternative modes of transportation to the villages as Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) helicopters are no longer available.
When schools reopen, security officials cannot use KDF helicopters, which they have previously used to transport teachers.
Lamu County Commissioner Wesley Koech said that the Lamu security team has recently found it nearly impossible to acquire military helicopters to transport the over 30 teachers to Boni Forest. The accident of a military helicopter in Elgeyo-Marakwet County on April 18, which killed Chief of Defense Forces (CDF) Francis Ogolla and nine other troops, aggravated the situation, according to Mr. Koech.
Mr. Koech stated that it was difficult to initiate processes and obtain state clearance to deploy a military helicopter to transport teachers to Boni Forest. Mr. Koech explained that it is not the military’s responsibility to transport teachers to their work locations.
Still, they had done so in the past to assist the education ministry in carrying out its duties in Boni Forest. He stressed the importance of giving Boni Forest students equal education opportunities nationwide.
He further stated that, due to the unavailability of military helicopters, the Lamu security committee had arranged for a boat to ferry the teachers across the Indian Ocean to Kiangwe village, from where they would be transported by road to various locations, including Mangai, Mararani, Basuba, and Milimani, under security escort. However, the teachers refused, insisting on a military helicopter, which was not available, to transport them.
The County Commissioner urged the teachers to show patriotism, particularly towards the disadvantaged Boni Forest students, who have consistently started their school terms late due to the delayed arrival of teachers.
He highlighted the significant increase in security in Boni Forest, which has seen no attacks in over three months. He reaffirmed the authorities’ readiness to transport the teachers by water and vehicle in the absence of military helicopters.
Some teachers emphasized that they would not jeopardize their lives by consenting to travel by road to Boni Forest. Terrorists frequently booby-trap the roads leading into the jungle, and al-Shabaab-linked fighters pose a threat of ambush.
For their safety, teachers frequently sleep in KDF camps at night and report to work every day. One of the teachers stated that traveling to Boni Forest via road was suicidal.
One of the teachers expressed concern that they were already making significant sacrifices by teaching in Boni Forest, a location known for its high risk of terror attacks, which even security officials are reluctant to enter.
The teacher emphasized that requiring them to use road transportation would further endanger their lives, and they would not comply with such a demand. They also highlighted that many of them have young families who depend on them.
Another teacher stated that they would remain in their homes until the government was ready to fly them to Boni Forest.
The teacher repeated that the administration is accustomed to messing with people’s minds by promising them things they cannot fulfill.
“I know that if we accept road travel, the government will make no further attempts to hoist us by helicopter, preferring to stick with road transport. As long as they do not have access to a helicopter to transfer us to Boni Forest, we will stay in our homes. “Our lives and security are of the utmost importance,” the teacher stated.
Zachary Mutuiri, the Director of Education in Lamu, urged the teachers to have faith in the security personnel by consenting to return to Boni Forest via water and road.
Mr. Mutuiri appealed to the teachers to abandon their hardline stance and accept the security team’s request to be escorted to Boni Forest by boat and then connected by road from Kiangwe village. He mentioned that the security staff had assured them of the teachers’ safety.
Mr. Mutuiri expressed that he saw no issue with teachers being guided to the affected schools, allowing Boni students to resume learning. He urged acceptance of the current arrangement, noting that a helicopter would be used to transport the teachers to Boni Forest when available, emphasizing that it was not a dire situation.
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Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) Lamu branch Executive Secretary Ibrahim Shahibu urged the government to stop forcing teachers to travel by road, knowing full well that such a choice endangers their lives.
Mr. Shahibu stated that working in the terror-prone Boni Forest is a sacrifice in itself, considering the area’s vulnerability to al-Shabaab attacks.
In September 2015, the national government started a multi-agency security operation to locate al-Shabaab fighters thought to be hiding in the dense Boni Forest.
A variety of security units, including the National Police Service (NPS), Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), Kenya Forest Service (KFS), National Government Administration Officers, and the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF), which is the lead agency, are still participating in Operation Amani Boni (OAB).
No Helicopter Rides for Teachers to Terror-Prone Schools in Boni Forest.
