On November 22, 2018, an armed gang attacked a children’s home in Chakama, Kilifi County, abducting an Italian volunteer and leaving five people injured in the raid.
The woman was identified as Syllvia Constance, 23, who was working with Africa Milele Onlus, an NGO serving destitute children in the area. Witnesses said gunmen armed with AK-47 rifles struck at about 7.30pm on Tuesday.
The injured were first taken to Chakama dispensary before being moved to Malindi Sub-County Hospital. Hospital sources said they were stable and responding well to treatment.
Those hurt in the attack were Siamini Garama Dadu, 56, who was shot in the neck; Ibrahim Said, 16, who was shot in the left knee; and Elias Mwaringa, 12, Mohamed Kalume, 10, and 20-year-old Mangi Katana, who were shot in the thighs.
Security agencies launched a search for the attackers after the incident. A military helicopter was seen flying over Chakama towards the Sabaki River on Tuesday night in what was believed to be a surveillance operation ahead of a possible rescue effort.
Kilifi Police Commander Fredrick Ochieng’ described the incident as a “normal criminal act” and denied any link to Al Shabaab. He said there was no evidence that the attack was terrorism and noted that the militant group had not claimed responsibility.
“There is no evidence the incident is a terrorist attack. What we know is that the men were of Somali origin. Al Shabaab is a terrorist group and such groups come out and say if they have conducted any attack. Up to now we have not received any pronouncement to link them to the attack,” he said.
Ochieng’ added that a multi-agency team, including the Kenya Defence Forces, was on the ground trying to trace the suspects. He said police were hopeful of making arrests by the end of the day and urged members of the public to share information that could help apprehend the attackers.
He also said the gang appeared to have targeted the centre and that several foreigners worked there, though most were away when the attack happened. According to him, four foreign women had been at the home earlier on Tuesday, but only one remained when the raid took place.
Tourism Cabinet Secretary Najib Balala said in a telephone interview with The Standard that Inspector General of Police Joseph Boinnet had assured him that police and other security personnel were pursuing the attackers. Balala called the incident isolated and said he remained confident the security forces would catch those responsible.
“This is an isolated incident. We remain confident that our security forces will catch up with the attackers who injured our people and took away the Italian woman who worked as a volunteer at a local orphanage,” said Balala.
In a separate statement, Boinnet said police officers had been deployed to track down the attackers.
Residents of Chakama, however, accused security agencies of failing to deal with lawlessness in the area. Some locals said they had been seeing unfamiliar people move into the villages without proper vetting, and argued that the authorities and local leaders were to blame for the insecurity.
“Police and our own leaders are to blame for this. We normally see new faces coming into our villages yet we do not know what the aim of their visits,” said one resident who asked not to be named.
Other residents said the area had been experiencing an influx of strangers, but security agencies had done little to screen visitors. “We are paying for our own mistakes, but who is responsible? If you allow a visitor into your home without knowing his or her name, this is what happens,” they said.
