150 die in terror attacks and ethnic clashes since January

 

In Summary

• In the latest incidents, gunmen raided villages at the border of Mandera and Wajir counties on Sunday, killing 20 people and burning 35 houses.
• Critics say heavy police deployments and visits by top security officials only come after the attacks.
• In May alone, 12 people were killed and 78 injured after twin terrorist attacks at the busy Gikomba market in Nairobi.

By FRED MUKINDA
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Almost 150 Kenyans have been killed since January in ethnic clashes arising from competition for resources, political instigation and from terrorist attacks.

In the latest incidents, gunmen raided villages at the border of Mandera and Wajir counties on Sunday, killing 20 people and burning 35 houses.

 

Inspector-General of Police David Kimaiyo said investigations showed that the violence, pitting the Garre and Degodia communities, was bankrolled by politicians and influential business people.

He said the motive was political, fuelled by the desire to influence the creation of new elective blocks that in the event of an election, could tilt victory in favour of certain individuals.

“The government has established that these conflicts are perpetrated by known people from the two communities.

The governors, MPs, senators, local leaders and elders, some of them based in Nairobi, know about these killings. Some of them finance these activities,” he said.

The attacks occurred a week after 60 people were killed in Mpeketoni, Lamu County, when about 50 gunmen raided the area. Besides the killings, 20 houses and 12 vehicles were set on fire.

Somali terror group Al-Shabaab claimed responsibility for the atrocity while the government alluded to local criminal gangs with a political motive.

Mr Kimaiyo said: “Our investigation is not only narrowing to a particular criminal activity.

It depends how crime in this particular case was perpetrated. The issues of politics, land clashes and any others connected to that crime, we are not leaving anything out.”

Police have been accused of not doing enough to pre-empt the attacks.

Critics say heavy police deployments and visits by top security officials only come after the attacks.

They say investigations do not lead to arrests of high value suspects and organisers often get off scot-free.

“We are calling on leaders of communities where cattle rustling is an almost daily occurrence like Igembe West, Tigania East, Isiolo, Samburu, Turkana South and East, West Pokot and Baringo, to reconcile their people,” said Mr Kimaiyo.

Political leaders have at times been summoned by police to record statements but the matters do not proceed to court.

Only one case of incitement, against Moyale MP Roba Duba, is pending in court.

Last month, similar violence erupted in Wajir and Mandera where 12 people were killed in Wabir village, Wajir East constituency.

In March, more deaths occurred at the volatile Kericho-Kisumu border when two communities living on the border between Kericho West and Nyakach districts clashed.

Houses and sugar plantations were burnt down at a time large numbers of security officers were in the area.

In May alone, 12 people were killed and 78 injured after twin terrorist attacks at the busy Gikomba market in Nairobi.

Two others died in a grenade attack in Mombasa and another four in a bus in the same town.

Two others died in twin blasts on buses on the Thika highway.