Men in the terror-prone villages of Lamu County are a worried lot. This is due to a trend by suspected al-Shabaab militants, who have evidently been on the hunt, to eliminate men in several villages.
Since 2014, Lamu has been on the receiving end of terror attacks that have left hundreds of people dead with property worth millions of shillings destroyed by the insurgents.
The worst al-Shabaab attack witnessed in Lamu is that of June 15, 2014, in Mpeketoni and Kibaoni towns, which left at least 90 men dead just in one night.
Nation established that in all the attacks, it is rare to have female casualties, with witnesses who have survived the attacks saying the militants often tell them openly that they are out to eliminate all men in the villages.
This year alone, at least 30 people, both civilians and security officers lost their lives in the hands of the terrorists. Out of this, only one was a woman.
Nation established two types of attacks orchestrated by the militants based on their mode of operation.
There are direct attacks where they conduct raids in villages, force villagers out of their houses, and butcher them.
Then there are indirect attacks that involve terrorists planting Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) on roads and pathways used by security agencies and civilians, or firing Rocket-Propelled Grenades (RPGs).
In all the direct attacks that have been orchestrated in Lamu villages, women and girls as well as children were spared. They are, however, forced to watch as the militants heinously kill the men.
Victims of Lamu Al-Shabaab attacks narrate how their men died in hands of militants
The August 1, 2023 attack where Anne Njeri Ng’ang’a, the wife of Lamu’s Hindi Ward MCA James Njaaga’s was killed at Mwembeni area near Nyongoro, along the Lamu-Witu-Garsen road is among isolated cases where women have been targeted by the militants in Lamu.
But why are the terrorists behaving like they are following a script from the Biblical story of Herod the King of Judea, who ordered the execution of all male children in the vicinity of Bethlehem?
On September 20, heavily armed militants raided Widho-Mashambani village where they killed George Sumit Gitocho, 49, and burnt seven houses.
During the 2am incident, the terrorists raided a homestead where they found a woman, Ms Eunice Mong’are with her three children aged 13, 11, and three months.
Ms Mong’are said the armed men identified themselves as ‘original al-Shabaab’ from Somalia who were on a mission to execute men.
“We heard the door knocked twice. As I prepared to open, the militants broke into the house. One ordered us to go out and lie down. Some were busy frisking and asking whether my husband was around. When we came out, I saw my in-law (George) who looked frightened. The assailants told us that they were going to kill my uncle and that we should not scream,” said Ms Mong’are.
Another incident is that of July 12, where they raided the home of Agnes Thabu Kalama and interrogated her for over 30 minutes, torched her three houses, stole household items, and left without harming her.
On that fateful day, Ms Kalama, her husband and children, including a 9-month-old, were sleeping in their house. They were woken up by sudden movements in their compound.
Ms Kalama’s husband and the grown-up children were the first to come out but after seeing heavily armed men in their compound, they knew things were not right.
Knowing too well how the militants always aim at killing men, they successfully fled and hid in the nearby bushes.
Ms Kalama came out as commanded by the suspicious men who later introduced themselves to her as ‘original al-Shabaab’ who were on a mission to execute people who had been killing them in Somalia. It was around 2.30 am.
“It’s a horrific encounter. After coming out of the house, I stood in front of two men armed with guns, pangas, and knives. I was holding my baby on my chest. The other two children stood behind me. They were terrified. They couldn’t run for their lives like what their father and siblings did since they’re too young,” said Ms Kalama.
“Before vacating, they said they had opted to spare my life and that of my little children but still cautioned me that the Kenyan security forces should avoid killing ‘them’ in Somalia or else, they will continue raiding our villages, destroying property and slitting our men’s throats. They also told me that our men should avoid touching their women lest they (terrorists) also start hacking us (the women). They then vanished into the forest,” narrated Ms Kalama.
The previous night, the militants had also raided the neighbouring Salama Block 17 village where they set ablaze a farm caretaker identified as Lucas Mwang’ombe inside his house. They also torched five houses, slaughtered goats, and went with the meat.
Joyce Wanjiru, 39, a mother of five and a widow whose husband John Murimi died in the hands of al-Shabaab who killed six people at Widho village in Lamu West on January 2, said the militants always tell them that they are killing their men as the Kenya government is also killing their people in Somalia.
“We wonder why these terrorists keep on attacking and killing our men. There are many widows in this village and we’re suffering,” said Ms Wanjiru.
Ms Pamela Ogutu, a resident of Salama Village in Lamu West, whose son, Barrack Hussein, 19, a Form Three student from Bakanja Secondary School in Mpeketoni was killed when the militants raided her home on the night of June 24 this year, had a similar experience.
Mr Andrew Masama, the chairperson of the Lamu Branch Kenya Counselling and Psychological Association (KCPA) said the aim of the terrorists is to weaken the family unit and create or instill fear, especially after the man who is seen as the protector and provider is eliminated.
“He plays a crucial role in providing security, bonding, and ensuring there is the continuity of the family generation. This is the agenda of the enemy, to destroy any form of development, be it social or economic,” said Mr Masama.
A KDF soldier who has been involved in the Lamu security operations cited the killing of men as a strategy by the militants to get an easy ground to recruit youth to join terror groups in Somalia.
Last week the government released names of 36 suspects wanted for the heinous murders. However, a number of the suspects have been on wanted lists since 2015.
