Produce chiefs' killers or face GSU, villagers in Lamu told
Coast Regional Coordinator John Elungata speaks during a security meeting in Mbwajumwali village, Lamu East on December 17, 2019. He gave a seven-day ultimatum to locals to provide information that will lead to the arrest of people who killed a chief and his assistant on December 11, 2019. PHOTO | KALUME KAZUNGU | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- The assailants wore buibuis, Islamic garments worn by women, while their faces were covered with veils.
- Mr Elungata expressed anger over the manner in which government officers are being attacked and killed.
- He directed that a police post be established within Mbwajumwali village.
The government has issued a seven-day ultimatum to residents of Mbwajumwali village in Lamu East to produce the killers of Chief Mohamed Haji Famau and his assistant Malik Athman Shee.
The two administrators were killed in cold blood by unknown assailants who were armed with machetes. The attackers stormed their office at around midday on Wednesday last week.
The assailants wore buibuis, Islamic garments worn by women, while their faces were covered with veils.
ANGERED
Addressing the public during a tour of Mbwajumwali village on Tuesday, Coast Regional Coordinator John Elungata expressed anger over the manner in which local administrators and even police officers are being attacked and killed by people believed to be living within the community.
The tough talking Elungata categorically stated that the government will be forced to use General Service Unit (GSU) officers to conduct crackdowns in search of the killers of the two chiefs if the ultimatum does not bear fruit.
He denied claims of involvement of Al-Shabaab terrorists in the murders of the two administrators and urged locals to come forward and willingly volunteer information that will aid in the arrest and prosecution of those involved in the murders.
OTHER KILLINGS
He cited the killing of Mbwajumwali Senior Chief Mohamed Shee Mohamed in 2016, the murder of a Kenya Red Cross Society volunteer and Nyumba Kumi official Amina Bakari in April this year, the killing of Police Constable Hesbon Okemwa Anunda in October this year and the latest murders of the two local administrators on December 11 this year, saying that the security department will not relent in finding answers.
He said the security agencies have narrowed down on five main suspects who are all believed to have played various roles before, during and after the murders.
“We are tired of losing our chiefs and other government officials in the hands of criminals who are living within the community here in Mbwajumwali. We are issuing a seven-day ultimatum starting from today (Tuesday) for you to identify those who killed our chiefs failing which I will personally direct the regional police commander, who is here with me today, to immediately deploy GSU (officers) so that they can conduct massive crackdowns here and produce the murderers,” said Mr Elungata.
He said those aiding the killers will also face the full force of the law.
INTELLIGENCE REPORTS
“Our intelligence tells us that a woman was apparently doing her laundry outside her house just adjacent to the office at the exact time the two administrators were being murdered. There were also two men who were standing guard on both sides near the chief’s office. Their job was to alert the murderers of any person coming to the office or any person who might come to the chiefs’ aid as the murder was taking place.
“[There was also] another person who ran after seeing one of the chiefs fighting outside before he was overpowered and killed. You better come out voluntarily or we will be coming for you,” he said.
POLICE POST
During the tour, Mr Elungata also directed that a police post be established within Mbwajumwali village and enough officers deployed immediately to protect wananchi as investigations continue.
Lamu East MP Athman Sharif, who also attended the meeting, called on locals to cooperate with the security agencies by revealing the identities of those involved in the murders of the two administrators.
“You should thank the government under His Excellency Uhuru Kenyatta. Despite what happened, no one has so far been harassed. It’s just the other day that a police officer was killed here and his gun is yet to be recovered. In other places, when such incidents happen, people suffer.
“I want to advise you to give information to our security. I know that some of the locals here know the killers. That’s the information that the government wants. Let’s not wait until force is applied on us because innocent individuals, including our old men and women, will end up suffering for nothing,” said Mr Sharif.
