This archive report was first published on 9 December 2019.
Kenya: Wajir Leaders Condemn Terror Attack, Call for Action ¶
On Friday, suspected Al-Shabaab militants attacked a passenger bus traveling to Mandera, killing 11 people and injuring many others.
The attack occurred between Wargadud and Kutulo, and among the victims were eight police officers stationed in Elram, Mandera County.
Wajir Governor Mohamed Abdi condemned the attack, saying it was a plot by the terrorists to cause divisions among the residents based on religion and ethnicity.
"We understand that security lies under the national docket but as county leaders we will support the government's efforts to prevent such attacks in future," he said.
Mr. Abdi suggested that security officers who work in terror-prone areas should be allowed to travel with their weapons every time they ply the routes perceived to be dangerous.
He also warned sympathizers of the terrorist in the county, saying they should be dealt with ruthlessly.
"Those people who might have provided the information about the passengers to the terrorists are the ones that we need to first deal with," he said.
Other leaders from Wajir County, including Eldas MP Adan Keynan and Tarbaj MP Ahmed Bashane, also condemned the attack and called for decisive action to end terror attacks in the region.
"The loss of human life transcends everything else; they are using Islam but what they have done is unacceptable to any society," Mr. Keynan said.
Wajir East MP Rashid Kassim described the attack as cowardly, adding that as leaders, they will pool resources to ensure that the attacks do not happen again in the county.
East Africa Legislative Assembly MP Fatuma Ibrahim said that Kenya needs to relook into its strategy in the fight against terror.
"These terrorists are not in Uganda or Tanzania or Burundi and Kenya needs to ask itself hard questions why such elements are finding a haven in the country and particularly the northern region," she said.
