Visit the once-busy Madogo in Tana River County, and you will be greeted by a retinue of closed shops, a few police officers patrolling the town, but no people. Hundreds of locals are migrating to Hola and Garissa days after violent clashes left two dead.
Traders and non-locals have been leaving the town amid growing fear of a retaliatory attack. Businesses have relocated to Hola, Minjila, and Garsen. Speaking to the Nation , the non-locals decried witch hunt by native communities who have been accusing them of grabbing their land.
“Since the clashes, the town has not been peaceful. Youths have been going around telling non-locals to leave,” said Ms Esther Mutisya, adding that businesses belonging to non-locals have become a target in the new wave of break-ins. Another resident, Mr Justus Mugure, said tensions were rising.
“My daughter was almost raped last week by a group of youths while returning home from school. She was saved by a group of women and some of her schoolmates,” he said. The high number of idle youth and violent rhetoric have smnade for a toxic mix, fanning the flames of chaos.
“We are looking for a place to settle around Hola until proper security measures are put in place,” said Ms Felister Omogeni, a teacher. She said the situation in Madogo could become even worse as the elections near. Her fears were confirmed by Mr Mohammed Lalafa, a human rights activist, who said the situation is yet to be resolved, as one community is still crying for justice for their dead kin. According to Mr Lalafa, a gun that was used during the chaos is yet to be found, leaving the situation calm but highly volatile.
“The security forces should move fast to arrest the people involved in the killings and the owners of the gun that was used before we can proclaim that there is peace,” he said. Tana River County Commissioner Mbogai Rioba called for calm, saying everything was under control.
“We have enhanced security in that area, and even the gangs of armed youths that you are hearing about will soon be history. We are going to be hard on them as well as those who were involved in the killings,” he said.
The county commissioner however noted that the mass movement of residents from areas affected by chaos has reduced, and life was slowly going back to normal.
He noted that the ballistic results will be out soon and proper search for the gun used will resume with the aim of finding if there are more hidden in the villages in readiness for chaos.
