MPs query Mpeketoni investigations, say more questions left unanswered

MPs on Wednesday pinned down the chairperson of the House Committee on National Security Asman Kamama as they demanded answers about the massacre in Mpeketoni, Lamu.

The lawmakers sought to know who the perpetrators were; why they were not repulsed, and what the government has so far done in dealing with the killing of over 50 people in the remote village in mid-June.

Kamama, the MP for Tiaty, was hard-pressed in his defence of the government, and only gave a rundown of the arrests and investigations so far.

"Three people have been arrested and charged with murder; 69 other suspects are being investigated, five others were gunned down, three AK 47 rifles and five magazines were recovered. Crucial leads being followed to arrest some of the perpetrators," said Kamama, as he delivered the response in the House on behalf of the Ministry of Interior and National Coordination.

But MPs pressed on:

""What was the nature of the intelligence report presented prior to the attack, when was the report presented and what did it say? There were 69 people arrested, why is it that only three were taken to court and of those one of them is my governor who has not been charged because there's no evidence?" posed Shakila Abdalla, the MP for Lamu County.

Shakila told Kamama that the statement was "shallow" because it did not address different means to deal with the insecurity. Her issue is that a camp for the General Service Unit officers exists in Mokowe, a distance of less than 30 kilometres from Lamu, yet when the attacks happened, the GSU officers failed to respond on time.

The MP, who is the Lamu County Woman Representative dismissed the position of the Ministry of Interior that the new camp at Kibaoni would deal with the insecurity.

"Six attacks have since taken place while they were there, what action has been taken?" said Shakila
MPs Agostinho Neto (Ndhiwa), Rachel Ameso (Kakamega), Raphael Letimalo (Samburu East) and Jared Opiyo (Awendo) and Isaac Mwaura (nominated) said the State should tell the country who killed its citizens in cold blood.

"You say you have arrested people. Are they of al Shabaab origin or are they politicaly-oriented militia?" posed Neto.

Ameso noted that land in Lamu was being pointed at as a source of conflict and thus she sought for a link between land and the killings.