The Lamu terror incident at the weekend in Mangai village, Boni Forest, has reignited concern about the possible existence of a local militia.
On Saturday, suspected Shabaab terrorists raided Mangai village, preached and gave out dates. But now residents, security insiders and activists have questioned whether the gang comes from across the border in Somalia or within the local community.
With Boni Forest under the control of a multi-agency security team, led by the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF), sources say it beats logic for Somalia-based terrorists to sneak in and out of Kenya in their hundreds through the forest, armed while dressed in military regalia with sacks of dates.
At Mangai, some residents interviewed by the Nation revealed that the so-called terrorists, who invaded the village in the evening, called some villagers by their names. An elder, who requested to remain anonymous because of the sensitivity of the matter, said he went to the mosque at 6.45 pm on Saturday, only for the heavily armed militants to show up in his house.
“My wife ran to the mosque where I was praying and told me that some suspicious armed guys had visited our compound and even called our six-year-old son by his name. They then asked where his father was.
“My wife instructed me to run for my life as the visitors weren’t good people. I fled and hid inside the forest, about 300 metres from my house,” said the elder.
“How can a person come all the way from Somalia, target my house and even call my son by his name? That means that a particular individual is aware of me. He is also conversant with Boni Forest villages and the general terrain. That can only mean someone from within [the village] is a member or assisting the terrorists in their operations,” he said.
Residents of Mangai village in Boni Forest, Lamu East sub-county on January 26, 2023.
Photo credit: Kalume Kazungu | Nation Media Group
Mr Salim Gubo, a resident of Mangai, said most of the terrorists, who invaded their homes, were hooded, with few others not masked. He said some of the militants conversed in Somali and Swahili languages. Mr Gubo claimed those who hid their faces might be people well known to the locals and were doing so to prevent their identification.
He also questioned where the terrorists got the sacks and boxes they used to carry the dates they distributed to the villagers as “Ramadhan gifts”.
“I saw both Somalis and Swahili people. We could identify them by their dialect. They spoke in both Somali and Swahili. Even though these people [may have come] from Somalia, some are youths whose origin is Lamu. That’s why they hid their faces,” Mr Gubo said.
A security insider also raised suspicion of how groups of militants in their hundreds can cross the Somalia-Kenya border and Boni Forest villages without getting spotted by the security team manning the region. Since September 2015, Boni has been under multi-agency security, Operation Amani Boni, meant to flush out Shabaab militants from their hideouts. The operation is conducted by KDF in conjunction with the National Police Service and the national government administration officers.
KDF is, however, designated as the lead agency.
The operation is conducted by the KDF in conjunction with the National Police Service (NPS) and the National Government Administration Officers (Ngao). KDF is, however, designated as the lead agency.
The security insider stressed that 150, which is the disclosed approximated number of terrorists who raided Mangai Village, is a large number that can easily be spotted in a place like Boni Forest where 24-hour security surveillance and patrols are undertaken.
“How can 150 terrorists raid a village, preach for minutes, distribute dates and move just like that without getting spotted and dealt with? I suspect all those people aren’t from Somalia in their entirety. Maybe many are locals who carry out such raids and vanish among villagers,” said the officer.
In 2018, at the height of terror attacks and the multi-agency security operation in Boni Forest, security agencies came out to warn locals, particularly those in terror-hit areas of Lamu, Tana River and Garissa to stop working with Al-Shabaab.
Although efforts put in place by the government helped in boosting relationships between the public and security officials for the sake of gathering intelligence, there are now concerns that the old trend is recurring.
“I am worried the old trend where locals used to harbour Al-Shabaab militants in Lamu and other terror hotspots is slowly returning. Let the government be keen. The enemy might be within,” the officer stressed.
Mr Hussein Khalid, the Chief Executive Officer of Vocal Africa, said reports of the insurgents calling people by their names in Lamu villages are disturbing.
It is worth noting that in previous terror attacks in Lamu, witnesses recounted how the terrorists were aware of the homesteads that they targeted.
Mr Khalid said the government has a duty to investigate and confirm why these militants are very familiar with the locals and even the terrain of the area.
“It’s disappointing that despite hundreds of millions of shillings being spent for such operations, we’re still witnessing incidents of insurgents operating very normally with no action taken by the military,” said Mr Khalid.
He also criticised the government for focusing more on international security missions, citing Haiti, while ignoring its own local challenges like the Boni insecurity.
“It seems the government has its own priorities instead of putting its own citizens and property at the forefront of security protection. It’s high time the Kenyan Government stops those international or foreign security missions and instead, focus or prioritize internal security forthwith,” said Mr Khalid.
The Saturday Al-Shabaab appearance at Mangai Village comes at a time when Lamu has enjoyed a long period of peace and stability with no frequent attacks or killings reported in recent times.
Government officials attributed the peace to the Boni Forest Operation where apart from directly fighting the enemy, security agencies have also worked tirelessly in sensitising locals about terror incidents and how to combat them.
Recently, the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC), in collaboration with Operation Amani Boni, conducted a community policing campaign and sensitisation workshop in Hindi Ward, Lamu County.
Such initiatives are aimed to strengthen cooperation between security agencies and local communities, enhance public awareness of security threats, and promote sustainable peace and stability in the region.
When contacted, Lamu County Commissioner Wesley Koech stressed that the ongoing security operation is fruitful.
“Our security agencies in Boni Forest are doing a great job to ensure citizens’ protection. So many cases revolving around security have happened but gone unreported since our security forces have been able to thwart them early enough even before they escalate. That's a clear indication that a good job is being done in Boni Forest,” said Mr Koech.
He appealed to members of the public to share information with the security agencies that will help deal with and eliminate or neutralize the enemy. Mr Koech added that the Mangai incident is an isolated case.
