KNUT Teachers Threaten School Closure in May Over Wildlife Compensation Dispute.
The Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) in Bomet County has issued a warning of a complete shutdown of learning activities in protest against what they described as negligence by the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) in handling compensation for wildlife attack victims, particularly students.
During a press briefing in Bomet County on Monday, KNUT officials, including Sotik Branch representative Mathias Lang’at and Bomet Secretary General Hesbon Lang’at, criticized KWS for failing to provide adequate compensation to affected families. They accused the agency of offering insufficient financial aid, leaving victims’ families in distress.
The officials referenced a recent incident where a student in Chepalungu was fatally mauled by a crocodile. They expressed their outrage that KWS had only offered Ksh 30,000 as compensation, which they deemed inadequate. They argued that this paltry sum failed to address the suffering and loss endured by the family.
KNUT officials also highlighted a separate case where KWS compensated another family with a significantly higher amount for the loss of a sheep. They questioned the government’s valuation system, asserting that a student’s life should be deemed far more valuable than livestock. This discrepancy, they claimed, exposed deep-seated bias in the government’s compensation policies.
As a response to the perceived injustice, teachers in the South Rift region declared that they would not reopen schools for the upcoming term unless KWS addressed their grievances. They stated that they had reached a unanimous decision to boycott teaching until the affected student’s family received fair compensation.
They further pointed to a recent incident where a car knocked down some sheep, and the owners, after protesting, were awarded Ksh 100,000. They expressed their frustration over such inconsistencies and vowed to take a stand against the unfair compensation practices.
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The KNUT representatives announced that during their meeting, they had officially resolved not to resume classes for the second term unless KWS acted on their demands. They insisted that justice must be served to prevent further neglect of human lives in wildlife conflicts.
The 16-year-old student was attacked in River Chepkulo, sustaining severe injuries, including deep wounds on his left foot and toes, as well as significant trauma to his chest and thighs. He later succumbed to his injuries, intensifying the outrage among teachers and the local community.
KNUT Teachers Threaten School Closure in May Over Wildlife Compensation Dispute.
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