By Philip Mwakio and Eric Njuguna
Coast PC Samuel Kilele warned that the separatist Mombasa Republican Council MRC has embarked on fresh oathing of local youth to bind them to its agenda.
Kilele said the oaths are aimed at rallying the youth behind the group’s sucession bid and urged locals to be on the look out for people bent on causing chaos.
“A recent incident in Mishomoroni in Kisauni constituency has led us to believe that witchdoctors have been misleading the youth aligned to the MRC,” said Kilele when he addressed the 49th Jamhuri Day celebrations in Mombasa.
He was referring to recent botched raid on police stations, which have been linked to MRC.
The PC said witchdoctors supporting the MRC were secretly administering oaths to the youth supposedly promising to cast spells on them that repel police bullets.
Kilele said to vanquish the MRC, law enforcement agencies should target their recruiting agents.
He directed police to act tough on witchdoctors involved in the administration of oaths.
The administrator reiterated that MRC bid will not succession because “Kenya is an independent and unitary State”.
Meanwhile Kilele said there is a worrying volume of panga or machete sales especially in urban areas around Mombasa.
He said any large-scale purchases of these implements was worrying because the purpose could be criminal.
He said the separatists could be behind some of the suspect purchases in areas like Kisauni where MRC has a large following.
“ We believe that MRC and others bent on causing chaos use machetes as their weapons and some have been confiscated from them when they plan or launch attacks,” Kilele said.
He wondered why anyone would shop for pangas in such big number in areas like Mishomoroni outside Mombasa where there are no known large-scale farming activities.
The PC used the occasion to urge residents to enrol as voters in the ongoing voter listing, which has remained low key in the region.
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He singled out Mombasa County where there are over 12,000 uncollected IDs at the district headquarters.
Kilele moved to assure visitors to Mombasa of intensified security ahead of the festive season.
Mombasa Mayor Ahmed Mohdhar attributed low voter registration in the region to insecurity.
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