Families of Likoni attack victims prepare to bury loved ones

Mombasa County Commissioner Nelson Marwa and religious leaders with families and friends of the Likoni church terror attack victims at Coast General Hospital mortuary, Wednesday [Photo: Maarufu Mohamed/Standard]

By Benard Sanga

Mombasa, Kenya: There was a somber mood as relatives and friends of the Likoni church terror attack victims converged at the Coast General Hospital mortuary to collect the bodies for burial.

The six bodies were removed from the hospital’s mortuary Wednesday amid tight security as tension remained high in Mombasa town following the killing of the fiery Islamic cleric Sheikh Shariff Abubakar alias Makaburi.

Among the victims are 74-year-old Josphat Nandala who will be transported to Uganda for burial and Veronica Atsieno, the mother of bwaby Satrin Osinya who will be ferried to her matrimonial home in Busia.

Suspect at large

Nandala was a watchman at the church and was reportedly the first to be killed by the assassins. Others are Cynthia Ambula, Philip Ambetsa, Benard Ochieng and Judith Akinyi.

According to Mombasa County Commissioner Nelson Marwa, the Government has catered for the transport costs as well as burial expenses for the victims.

He said other than the burial and travel expenses the committee still had money that would be given to all those affected by the attack.

Marwa said the police were narrowing down on the third suspect who escaped with gunshot injuries when two other suspected assailants were killed last week. “The Government will not rest until all those who committed the atrocity are brought to book or made to pay,” said Marwa.

Some Muslim clerics attended the memorial service and Kenya Muslim National Advisory Council Chairman Sheikh Juma Ngao sent condolences on behalf of the Muslim community.

He said the Government should investigate those behind the church attack especially the financiers and that the probe should not end with the killing of perpetrators.

Ngao urged Muslims to remain as calm as Christians were after the church attack to allow for investigation into Makaburi’s killing.

He said it was “not time to start pointing fingers or inciting youths to demonstrate.”

Stand together

“It is time to stand together as not only does the enemy want to divide people of different faiths but also humanity. We should grief fellow humans that have died,” said Ngao.

Deputy President William Ruto last Sunday gave Sh2 million to the victims fund and Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho donated Sh1 million.