State faults its response in Garissa

A student who was seriously injured during a terrorist attack at Garissa University College on April 2, 2015 is helped onto a military plane in Garissa. PHOTO | FILE 

By OUMA WANZALA

The government has admitted that there were lapses in the security response to the Garissa University College terrorist attack that left 148 people dead.

State House spokesperson Manoah Esipisu on Thursday told editors in Nairobi that there were shortcomings in the State’s response to the Al-Shabaab massacre.

“Did we do something wrong in Garissa? Yes, of course. In reacting, there are always time lapses,” said Mr Esipisu in response to mounting criticism of the government approach by the media and the public. He said the government wanted to save as many lives as possible at the university, which had 815 students.

READ: 147 killed as gunmen attack Garissa University College

He defended the arrival of Interior secretary Joseph Nkaissery and Inspector-General of Police Joseph Boinnet at Garissa before the rescue security forces did, saying the helicopter that ferried the two had a capacity of only three passengers.

Therefore, Mr Esipisu noted, the chopper could not ferry the more than 25 Recce Company officers to the scene of the attack on time.

The Recce squad, which eventually ended the bloody siege at Garissa University last week, landed in Garissa at 1.56pm although the alarm had been raised at 6am.

On accusations that the State was killing the morale of officers who felled the terrorists by paying them a Sh500 allowance, Mr Esipisu said the work of the security officers was to save lives and the allowance was not a priority.