Somber mood as Garissa survivors leave

Saturday, April 4, 2015

The buses,10 from National Youth Services (NYS) and 3 others sourced locally were been used to take the students to their home counties. PHOTO | AGGREY MUTAMBO |  NATION MEDIA GROUP

In Summary

• Speaking at the same function, Mr Jama said that it was regrettable that so many innocent students were brutally killed and put into torturous experiences by gun men, whose agenda is to make northeastern region marginalized.

By ABDIMALIK HAJIR
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A somber mood engulfed Garissa military camp Saturday when 663 students who survived the Garissa University College terror attack aboard 13 vehicles left for different destinations.

The students broke into tears as the buses slipped out of the military camp where they had lodged since Thursday morning, residents and community members from the area came out in large numbers to see them off.

Garissa Governor Nathif Jama was among county and national government officials who turned up to see them go with heavy security, Mr Jama said he gave out a personal donation of Sh663,000 cash for the lunch of the students (each student got Sh1,000).

"Our enemies are disperate to create unnecessary wedge between Kenyan communities of diverse faith and ethnicity, but they failed as we remain more united", county commissioner Njenga Miiri said.

He appealed for christian communities to be extra vigilant against the terrorist's aim of sparking sectarian violence in the country.

CLOSED

The county commissioner said the college will remain closed indefinitely for security officials to continue with investigations.

The buses,10 from National Youth Services (NYS) and 3 others sourced locally were been used to take the students to their home counties.

Speaking at the same function, Mr Jama said that it was regrettable that so many innocent students were brutally killed and put into torturous experiences by gun men, whose agenda is to make northeastern region marginalized.

"This was the only fully-fledged university we had around in the entire region. In the short time it existed the students population has grown to over 800, which tells us that there are many children who were unable to travel out of the region to pursue higher education", he explained.