A primary school in Saboti constituency is counting loses after a gang of robbers broke into the school library and took away text books estimated to be over Kshs 117,000 Wednesday night.

The head teacher of Sikulu primary school Alfred Wanyama and committee members led by the school chairperson Janet Kasili told journalists in Kitale that the incident that took place at 2a.m left the institution helpless as all the valuable books were stolen.

Sikulu primary head teacher Abrahama Wanyama speaking to reporters in Kitale as other committee members look on. [PHOTO | Leonard Wamalwa]

"They targeted English and Science books hence we are left with no book of those subjects which will affect the school learning a great deal," the head teacher told reporters.

Unlike other schools in the neighborhood that have had such incidents in the recent past, the school had the first experience which involved over ten thugs armed with weapons including two guns according to the night guard Luka Maina.

"They were in a group of not less than ten people and I managed to see two of them with guns because they were on the side of the water tank that I was hiding from and they did not see me hence I rushed to raise neighbors who did not respond on hearing that they were armed with dangerous weapons," said the guard.

They pointed out that the trend of stealing text books in that area had risen citing other five schools affected including Sango, Chepkoilel, Tuyogon, Panacle, Kisawayi and Namawanga that have lost books worth millions of shillings to the thugs whoo seem to have a common market.

The incident comes just a few days after we highlighted similar thefts of textbooks from over 20 schools in neighboring Kwanza district within the same Trans Nzoia County.

Just like the stakeholders in Kwanza who pointed out that the books might be heading for Southern Sudan, a similar revelation that the books have got a ready market in the newly born republic that is said to be doing a similar syllabus with the Kenyan one.

Sikulu school chairperson Janet Kasili also noted that in all the incidences experienced in the neighboring schools it has been in public domain that the stolen books are sold in Southern Sudan.

"Sources indicate that the books are sold in South Sudan and they only focus on the pupil’s books and leave alone the teacher’s guide. We therefore call upon the government to be strict along the borders to be able to screen and nab the people behind the business which is leaving our schools with empty libraries," said Mrs Kasili.

However, despite the police department led by Kitale OCPD Lucas Ogara confirming the rumors of the books being sold in the neighboring country, no suspect has been arrested so far since the first incident of the thefts were reported in May last year.