Meet 16-Year-Old Girl Who Saved 140 People From Bandit Attack in Marakwet

• Sylvia Cheptowot Losorekow was in the bus that was attacked by bandits in Elgeyo Marakwet in February this year. Bandits lay in ambush and opened fire on the bus as students returned from a field trip.

16-Year-Old Sylvia Cheptowot, Honored for Saving 140 People From a Bandit Attack as a hero
As pupils were returning to school from a field trip in Elgeyo Marakwet in February of this year, Sylvia Cheptowot Losorekow was a passenger on the bus when it was assaulted by bandits.
On February 17, 2022, news of the incident in Baringo, where a convoy of three buses carrying high school students had been attacked by robbers, caught the nation’s attention.

Heroes come in various kinds and sizes, and among the 230 persons honored on this year’s Mashujaa Day was a small 16-year-old girl whose voice earlier this year saved the lives of 140 people.

As pupils were returning to school from a field trip in Elgeyo Marakwet in February of this year, Sylvia Cheptowot Losorekow was a passenger on the bus when it was assaulted by bandits.

On February 17, 2022, news of the incident in Baringo, where a convoy of three buses carrying high school students had been attacked by robbers, caught the nation’s attention.

One of the females in that tragic bus that day was Sylvia. She remembers a memorable, enlightening excursion to Lake Baringo and the enjoyable times she had with her fellow students on the way back to school.

They had no idea that the happy mood would shortly be destroyed in the most horrific way. Bandits ambushed themselves and started shooting at the bus.

“Driver wetu akakufa na wenzangu wakaumia, tukakutana na wahalifu, tukapigwa na risasi…

She recalls, “hata mimi niliskia nimepigwa kwa miguu mbili yote, na ya left ikavunjika.

In those crucial minutes, Sylvia did the only thing she could have possibly thought of while confused, bleeding heavily, and scared of the now perilous scenario the students found themselves in. She had overheard the attackers speaking in a tongue she was familiar with.

Then she continues, “Walikuwa wanataka kuingia basi, mimi nikafungua mdomo nikaongea, ndio hao wakasikia mdomo yangu, nikapiga nduru, wakasikia, nikawaambia sisi ni wanafunzi wa Tot High School na sisi ni Pokot

The people in the bus as well as the other two people in the convoy were saved by their comments, which caused the bandits to give up on their terrible plan. In the bus behind Sylvia’s was a teacher from Tot High School named Mercy Korir.

According to Ms. Korir, “Sylvia akaopen up akaongea and then they escaped because the objective of those guys, naskia walikuwa wanataka kuingia kwa bus ndani ndio Sylvia akasave the many.”

Sylvia and the other students were taken away from the scene of the fatal assault and received medical attention at a nearby hospital.

Sylvia explains, “Kufika Kapsowar nikapelekwa theatre, nikafanyiwa operation, risasi ilikwamia ndani, nikakaa mpaka asubuhi wakanipeleka ward, wakapima miguu yangu wakasema ilikuwa imevunjika vibaya na watawe

Her recuperation hasn’t been simple; she spent three months in the hospital and another four at home. Since then, she has undergone another procedure to repair the metal plate in her leg.

She is in a difficult situation because of their difficult upbringing, the death of their father months before to the incident, and the fact that she brought it up at the time. The first two siblings left, according to Baba yao ndiye alikuwa tegemeo kwao, said Ms. Korir.

She now relies on the generosity of her high school for support, but she acknowledges that getting used to life on crutches hasn’t been simple.

“Mi nakaa tu hivi locker yangu inakaa hapa mguu yangu inakaa straight,” declares Sylvia. “Nikichoka naenda kulala kidogo, narudi darasa tena.”

Having missed nearly seven months of school due to injuries sustained in that incident, Sylvia will have to repeat Form Two, but she claims she wouldn’t think twice about speaking out in a similar circumstance.

She has high hopes that her ambition to become a teacher may someday come true, but for the time being, she is happy to be recognized as one of Kenya’s young heroes.