Protests as attackers shoot dead two people in Mandera

Protesters demonstrate over insecurity in Garissa town, Thursday. [PHOTO: ABDIKADIR SUGOW/STANDARD]

GARISSA COUNTY: Two people including a chief were killed and four others seriously wounded in north eastern region in two separate incidents sparking protests.

In the first incident, Muhammed Ibrahim, an assistant chief of township, Mandera East district was attacked by assailants, who witnesses said hurled hand grenades at his house from a vehicle.

Mandera police commander Noah Mwavinda said the attackers shot at the chief and seriously wounded his daughter.

“The chief has now succumbed to injuries at Mandera District Referral Hospital, while daughter is still undergoing treatment. The unidentified armed people arrived at his house around 7.30pm (Wednesday),” Mwavinda said.

He said the attackers fled, after being confronted by security officers, who were on patrol and responded to the raid.

And in the second incident in Garissa town, a man was shot dead and three others injured after unknown assailants shot them.

Witnesses said the victims were offloading sacks of potatoes from a vehicle at 5.30am when a gunman riding on a motorbike struck killing one and fatally wounding three others with him, before speeding off.

North Eastern police commander Patrick Lumumba said business rivalry could have been the motive of the attack.

“Those injured are at Garissa General Hospital where they are undergoing treatment,” he said.

The incident sparked violent protests in Garissa town as traders condemned the loader's killing.

A community outside the county also claimed it was being targeted. But this has been met by calls to stop politicising the incident.

Police were forced to shoot in the air to disperse the group that said such attacks were becoming rampant and the area needed to be secured.

Local leaders addressed the group and vowed to meet the medical expenses of the injured and burial costs for the loader.

More police officers were mobilised to the area to contain the situation.

Governor Nathif Jama regretted the shooting as he summoned a meeting with the security chiefs to discuss the situation and plan for the future.

"We will work harder to ensure such criminals are not here anymore. We are following crucial leads to know who they are," he told the group.

Most of those demonstrating were boda boda operators who said they felt unsafe over ongoing gun and grenade attacks in the county.

Witnesses said there was another shooting in Wajir town on Wednesday night during a bid by police to arrest suspected gunmen. The suspects, however, are said to have escaped as police shot in the air to try and scare them.

The region has been facing insecurity related incidents despite police efforts to contain the situation.

The most recent one was when clashes broke out between the Garre and Degodia in Mandera County in which more than 50 people have been killed and tens others displaced.

Attackers suspected to be members of Al-Shabaab are known to have targeted Government officials in previous similar attacks in Mandera, Wajir and Garissa counties that share the border with the war-ravaged Somalia.

In August, suspected Islamist militia threw hand grenades at central administration police post before escaping, while a week earlier another hand grenade planted inside a miraa kiosk exploded, injuring six people.

Two years ago, a chief of the township was killed after assailants accosted him on his way home and shot him dead.