Last week, two primary schools located within Murang’a Municipality were broken into and textbooks of unknown value stolen.
The thieves, on Tuesday last week, broke into Mbiri Primary School and stole assorted textbooks of which majority are for competency-based curriculum.
On the mentioned date, teachers and pupils arrived in the school only to find the store open and a number of books stolen.
Two days after the Mbiri incident, the goons broke into the neighbouring Mjini Primary School and made away with books worth thousands of shillings.
Parents and teachers suspected that there were suspects targeting new books for CBC which had been supplied by the government.
Watchmen of the two schools were arrested to aid investigators to unearth the individuals behind the theft.
Murang’a East Sub County Director of Education, Richard Ng’ang’a, called on the primary school heads to remain alert following emergence of gangs targetting books.
Majority of the books were supplied by the government with few being bought by parents.
Ng’ang’a noted that stealing of the books is a setback especially to candidates waiting to sit for the national examinations.
“There is a cartel targeting school textbooks. The heads should make arrangements for the safety of our resources. Management of schools including the boards must be in charge and employ trustworthy guards,” Ng’ang’a said.
He called upon security personnel to increase patrols, especially at night, in an effort to tame those targeting public institutions.
Cases of house break-ins in Murang’a town have increased in the recent past and several individuals have reported the theft of their household goods during day time.
The gang behind the thefts is said to use different personal cars and master keys to access houses of residents while at work.