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From friends to foes: How unresolved decade-old murder case tore apart two Lamu villages

Friday, May 15, 2026

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Village of Shanga Ishakani village in Pate Island, Lamu County.

By Kalume Kazungu

Correspondent

Nation Media Group

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What you need to know:

Everyone who witnessed the bond between Siyu and the Shanga villages considered it unbreakable.
However, this deep bond shattered about 10 years ago after a brutal and unsolved murder.

Siyu and Shanga-Ishakani villages of Lamu East Sub-County were once peaceful havens and closely connected.

People used to refer to the villages as “twin sisters” owing to their intertwined relationship.

In fact, their friendship was solidified when residents of Shanga-Ishakani and Shanga-Rubu villages on the Kenya-Somalia border were displaced during the Shifta War in the 1960s.

Residents from the two villages were forced to abandon their homes. The people of Siyu welcomed residents from Shanga-Ishakani and Shanga-Rubu without hesitation.

Read: Karambela: The drug from Somalia fuelling Lamu violent gang attacks

They hosted them for a whole year, sharing land for temporary shelters and offering food from their own harvests until the displaced families settled in their current homes.

Separated by only one kilometre, Siyu and Shanga-Ishakani residents continued to maintain close ties over the years, with some even intermarrying and celebrating weddings together.

Some years back, people from both villages walked freely between them daily without hesitation. Children from the two villages also interacted and played freely.

Nearly every household in Siyu had relatives in the Shanga villages, creating a familial bond rather than just a neighbourly relationship.

Everyone who witnessed the bond between Siyu and the Shanga villages considered it unbreakable.

However, this deep bond shattered about 10 years ago after a brutal and unsolved murder.

Elders interviewed by the Nation said a boy from Shanga-Ishakani was found murdered while in the company of people from Siyu.

Due to the failure by local authorities to thoroughly investigate, trace, arrest and prosecute the suspect, the case went cold.

The situation transformed residents of Siyu and those from Shanga-Ishakani into bitter enemies.

The unresolved incident began to poison the once-friendly interactions, turning tension into violence.

Village of Shanga Ishakani village in Pate Island, Lamu County.

In recent years, whenever small altercations arise between residents of the two villages — even over trivial matters — they quickly descend into chaos, a situation believed to be fuelled by lingering grief and anger over the decade-old killing.

Mohamed Kassim, an elder in the area, expressed sadness that some parents in the two villages have even gone to the extent of teaching their children not to speak to their counterparts from either side, creating a whole new generation raised on hatred.

“I believe if the suspect in that long-ago murder incident had been arrested and charged, we would not have reached where we are today. That unresolved problem has made innocent neighbours treat each other as threats,” said Mr Kassim.

Over the years, the once-close villages have become deeply divided.

Residents in Siyu and Shanga-Ishakani now live in fear, with incidents of retaliation occurring from time to time.

On April 7, 2026, a 24-year-old man, Swabir Hassan Omar, was stabbed in the chest and killed in Shanga-Ishakani village. The victim hailed from Siyu.

The attack has been linked to the same long-standing unresolved murder case.

Two days later, the killing triggered immediate retaliation, with enraged youths from Siyu Village storming Shanga-Ishakani and setting ablaze the house belonging to the suspect’s 70-year-old grandmother. The fire was later contained with the help of residents.

Police officers intervened immediately and restored calm after the area briefly descended into chaos.

Act of revenge

Preliminary police investigations also indicate the incident was an act of revenge linked to a killing that occurred several years ago.

The deceased was the younger brother of a man accused of killing the suspect’s cousin in a separate stabbing incident.

On the night of Sunday, May 10, 2026, another revenge mission was allegedly organised by youths from Siyu targeting residents of Shanga-Ishakani.

Lamu Police Commander Shadrack Ruto said a group of more than 10 youths armed with pangas and other crude weapons stormed the village, throwing it into chaos.

“All the youths were hooded. They were armed with pangas, machetes and other crude weapons. They ambushed residents of Shanga-Ishakani between 8.30pm and 11pm. This resulted in chaos that left four people, including an ustadh (Muslim leader), critically injured,” said Mr Ruto.

The incident sparked fresh tension between the two villages.

Authorities have since launched a manhunt for the suspects, who allegedly fled into nearby mangrove forests and remain at large.

On why suspects are rarely arrested despite repeated incidents of murder in the area, Mr Ruto blamed members of the public for failing to cooperate with security agencies.

Read: Lamu's burden of death: An island without a mortuary

“Our police officers have faced challenges because people fail to cooperate and share information that could help trace and arrest suspects. In some cases, perpetrators relocate to other regions shortly after committing crimes. It becomes difficult to trace them since we are not even given their photos,” said Mr Ruto.

Last month, Coast regional security bosses led by Coast Regional Commissioner Rhoda Onyancha and Regional Police Commander Ali Nuno toured Lamu, where they met residents and warned them against taking the law into their own hands.

Ms Onyancha expressed concern over recurrent deadly family vendettas that have existed for decades in the archipelago.

A vendetta is defined as a blood feud or a quest for revenge.

Ms Onyancha said it had become common for members of certain families to target and kill or injure one another.

She urged Lamu residents to stop misinterpreting religious beliefs to justify “tit-for-tat” or revenge behaviour.

“People here believe that once you wrong somebody, you are also supposed to pay for it. They believe in instant justice and that is why they retaliate or seek revenge. This should stop. It is against the laws of Kenya. We do not have space for instant justice in our country,” said Ms Onyancha.

Mr Nuno also emphasised the need for every citizen to follow the rule of law.

A section of Lamu Island seafront on Tuesday, April 21, 2026.

Photo credit: Kalume Kazungu | Nation Media Group

“We do not advocate or encourage lawlessness. If you take the law into your own hands, we will take firm action by arresting and arraigning you in court,” said Mr Nuno.

But where did the revenge attacks in Lamu begin?

Are they culturally or religiously linked?

Lamu elder Ahmed Abdullah, 51, said revenge and vendettas are historically not part of the culture of Swahili Muslims of Bajuni origin.

Mr Abdullah blamed the trend on the current generation, which he said has been heavily affected by drug abuse.

He explained that Swahili Bajuni Muslims have traditionally been known as peace-loving people who do not harbour grudges.

“What we are witnessing today in Lamu is foreign and unwelcome. One family targeting another because one of their members was murdered, and then retaliating by killing another person? I attribute all this to youths consuming drugs. First, they do not have employment, yet they need money to buy drugs and satisfy their addiction. They end up doing the unthinkable, including murder,” said Mr Abdullah.

Muhashiam Famau, a community activist in Kiunga, Lamu East, also cited drugs as a major contributor to revenge attacks and general unrest in Lamu.

Mr Famau challenged religious leaders, elders, community-based organisations and Lamu leaders to urgently work together to find a permanent solution.

He reiterated that the culture of the Lamu people is naturally welcoming and peaceful.

Read: Donkey transport crisis looms in Lamu as world frets over fuel shortages

“That is why thousands of people travel from far and wide to join us in celebrating our culture and traditions during events such as the annual Lamu Cultural Festival. Drugs are driving our youth into doing the opposite. It is high time all stakeholders came together to discuss and end this, or else the good image of Lamu will be tarnished,” said Mr Famau.

Fatma Omar, a resident of Gadeni, cited lenient treatment of suspects and the granting of bond to accused persons as another factor fueling revenge attacks.

Ms Omar said such decisions leave affected families bitter and resentful.

“Someone is seriously assaulted or murdered. You report the matter to the police. The suspect is arrested and charged in court, only to be granted bond. They return to the village and move around boastfully, saying nothing has happened to them. This makes the other family bitter and fuels revenge,” said Ms Omar.

She suggested that suspects in murder, rape and drug-related cases should not be granted cash bail or bond.

“The only way to curb or reduce revenge attacks in this area is for suspects to remain behind bars until their cases are concluded and justice prevails for the victims,” said Ms Omar.

Abdulkadir Mau, a Muslim cleric and scholar in Lamu Island, said although Islam does not entirely forbid revenge, it must follow proper procedures.

Mr Mau admitted that many people have misinterpreted the concept, resulting in the unfortunate trend of revenge attacks among families in Lamu.

He blamed parents for neglecting their responsibilities, leaving many youths disconnected from mosque teachings and religious guidance.
As a result, many remain uninformed about religious matters.

Residents, however, believe it is time for investigative agencies and authorities to ensure all unsolved murders are thoroughly investigated and resolved.

“Once murders happen and remain unresolved, they leave a permanent void where trust once existed. Reconciliation is impossible without justice,” said Ahmed Omar.

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