The Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) has urged the government to urgently strengthen security measures for teachers working in Mandera County following a suspected terror-related blast that injured three teachers on Saturday night.
The explosion, which occurred around 7PM at a hotel in Mandera Town’s Kona B area, left the educators critically injured and sparked fresh fears over the safety of teachers serving in the volatile region bordering Somalia and Ethiopia.
KNUT Second Vice Chairman Aggerey Namisi condemned the attack, describing it as a tragic reminder of the persistent insecurity that continues to plague educators in the North Eastern region.
“Teachers play a crucial role in shaping the future of the nation and should not be subjected to fear while carrying out their duties,” said Namisi. “We call on the government to act swiftly — strengthen security, provide medical evacuation and referral for the injured teachers, and reassure others serving in high-risk zones that their safety is a priority.”
Namisi added that teachers stationed in remote and border schools have endured years of fear due to recurrent terror attacks targeting non-local educators.
Long History of Attacks on Teachers in Mandera
The latest incident adds to a grim list of attacks against teachers in Mandera County over the past decade.
In 2014, Al-Shabaab militants ambushed a Nairobi-bound bus in Arabia, Mandera East, killing 28 people, including 17 non-local teachers. The massacre triggered a mass exodus of educators from the region.
Four years later, in 2018, two teachers — Johnstone Okumu and Simon Wekesa — were killed when militants threw explosives into staff quarters at Arabia Boys Secondary School.
In 2022, three teachers went missing after a night raid at Libehiya Primary School, while in 2023, Al-Shabaab militants stormed a police station in Wargadud, killing a non-local teacher alongside two police officers.
Most recently, the October 2025 blast at a Mandera hotel has renewed calls for comprehensive security intervention, with KNUT saying the government must move beyond reactive responses.
“Improved security will not only protect teachers but also encourage more to accept postings in Mandera,” Namisi said. “Education in the region cannot thrive when fear governs the classroom.”
KNUT’s Mandera Secretary-General Hussein Hassan echoed the appeal, urging the government to deploy more officers to border schools and improve intelligence coordination to preempt attacks.
“We need a collaborative effort from all ministries — education, interior, and health — to ensure teachers receive immediate assistance and protection,” said Hassan. “Learning must not stop because of fear.”
The union also appealed to local communities to cooperate with security agencies by sharing information that could help avert future attacks.
As investigations into the Sunday night explosion continue, the teachers’ union is calling for accountability and lasting solutions to what it describes as “a preventable cycle of terror” that has robbed Mandera’s children of consistent education and denied teachers peace of mind.
“This must be the last time a teacher is attacked for simply doing their job,” Namisi emphasized. “The government must act — and act now.”
