This archive report was first published on 5 January 2020.
Kenya: Travellers Shun Buses After Al-Shabaab Raid in Lamu ¶
On Thursday, January 2, 2020, suspected Al-Shabaab militants carried out a terror attack on passenger buses at Nyongoro on the Lamu-Garsen Road, claiming the lives of three people and leaving three others injured.
The attack occurred at around 12:30 pm, when six heavily armed men wearing civilian clothes stopped a convoy of Mombasa Raha, Simba Coach, and TSS buses headed to Lamu from Mombasa.
Witnesses reported that the terrorists demanded each passenger produce their ID cards, with some asked to identify their religion and even recite the 'Shahada,' a tenet of the Muslim faith.
"Some of the passengers, including my turn boy and two other men who couldn't recite the Islamic creed were shot at close range. All this happened in 10 minutes before the attackers fled after security agencies came to our rescue," said Mr. Athman Salim, the conductor of Simba Coach.
Despite the introduction of security measures, including a night travel ban and armed police escorts, the attack has left many travellers shaken.
Between 2014 and 2017, the Lamu-Garsen route witnessed frequent ambushes by Al-Shabaab militants, resulting in the loss of many lives.
Coast Regional Coordinator John Elungata has deployed security agents, including Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) soldiers, to Nyongoro and along the road for a major operation in search of the killers.
