This archive report was first published on 12 September 2019.
Kenyans Praise Policeman Who Taught Pupils at War-Torn Border ¶
Published on September 12, 2019
A police officer, Jairus Mulumia, has been praised by Kenyans for teaching pupils at a school in the war-torn Kenya-Ethiopia border. The officer, who was part of a security team deployed to the area following a series of banditry attacks, took it upon himself to teach mathematics to a class of nine pupils after the teachers failed to report due to insecurity.
According to a Facebook post by Education Development Trust Africa, Mulumia, a trained teacher, got permission from the headteacher and started teaching the pupils. The post read, “(Jairus) was part of a security team deployed following a series of banditry attacks in the area, which left several people dead. When our team visited the school last week, some teachers had not reported due to insecurity obtaining in the area. The pupils were idle in class. After getting permission from the headteacher, Mulumia, a trained teacher, got into class 5 and started teaching mathematics. Apparently, only girls in that class had the courage to come to school that day.”
Forole Town, where the school is located, is approximately 724 kilometers from Nairobi and is a war-torn area near the Kenya-Ethiopia border. The town has been in the news recently due to attacks by unknown gunmen, with eight people killed and at least nine others injured in August, and 11 people dead in May.
Kenyan citizens have taken to social media to praise Mulumia for his selfless act, with some calling him the real definition of ‘Utumishi kwa Wote’ (service to all). One Twitter user, Alaman James, said, “While officers like Jairus Mulumia are actually giving service to the community “utumishi kwa wote” others think holding a firearm puts them on a pedestal.”
Others have also called for Mulumia to be promoted for his act of nation-building and contributing to the society where he works.
