Police Thwart Attempt To Burn Abandoned School In Laikipia

NAIROBI, Kenya, Sept 8- Police say they thwarted an attempt by bandits to torch an abandoned school in Laikipia County where insecurity is on the rise.

According to Inspector General of police Hilary Mutyambai, a multi-agency security team thwarted a suspected attempt to burn Merigwiti Primary School following a security operation in Laikipia to flush out armed bandits who have invaded Laikipia Nature Conservancy leading to insecurity within the area.

An assessment of the school established that only a store containing building materials (wood) caught fire, which was promptly put out with no damage to the school.

The school had been closed due to insecurity and no one was injured during the incident. Security has been intensified and investigation into the attempted arson is ongoing.

A major operation is planned in the area to root out armed attackers who have invaded private ranches.

Many have been rendered homeless in the incidents that have been reported in the past weeks.

Police say some of the so-called bandits are armed with sophisticated weapons like M16 rifles, often used by the military.

“While our officers are using AK 47 and G3 rifles, the bandits are using M16 and other heavy rifles which are usually used by foreign armies which come for training in Kenya,” he said.

“We do not know how they get these heavy weapons.”

An M16 rifle, used by the military only is a 223 caliber (5.56 millimeter) gas-operated magazine-fed rifle for semiautomatic or automatic operation.

“How such a powerful rifle got to their hands is a puzzle. It should be investigated,” Natembeya said.

And he too is worried that if left unchecked, the current insecurity could easily spread to other parts of the country- where land is an emotive subject.

“We must do everything possible to stop this. Otherwise, our country will become a banana republic,” he said.