Two Mandera victims laid to rest, leaders demand sack

Two sisters killed in the Mandera terrorist attack were yesterday laid to rest in an emotional ceremony in Nyeri, as leaders called for an overhaul of the country’s security apparatus. The two were among 28 people shot dead by Al-Shabaab in a bus that was heading to Nairobi at dawn last Saturday.

Tears flowed freely as the two teachers, Fridah Kathambi and Winfred Karimi, were laid to rest at their parents’ home at Njoguini Village in Naromoru, in a ceremony attended by hundreds of mourners.

Mourners who included MPs were unanimous that President Uhuru Kenyatta needed to crack the whip by removing security chiefs who had “failed in their duties”.

But it is the story of the two teachers that moved the mourners to tears.

When their mother Nancy Makena bid them farewell as they set off to work in Mandera, the last thing she expected was to see them brought back home in coffins.

Time to act

On the fateful day, Kathambi was returning from Mandera to prepare for her graduation ceremony at Mt Kenya University set for next month.

Kathambi was a Literature teacher at Albayan Secondary School, while Karimi was a teacher at Dawa Integrated School.

Although President Kenyatta has been under pressure to sack the country’s security chiefs, the push is now coming from his own backyard with Jubilee leaders saying it is time for him to act.

Kipipiri MP Samuel Gichigi, his Kieni counterpart Kanini Kega, and Nyeri Senator Mutahi Kagwe said Kenyans were concerned by increasing cases of insecurity.

“We don’t want to mince words. We are telling the President we are tired of burying people as a result of insecurity. We elected you as our President to protect us,” Gichigi told the mourners during a church service at Mwichuiri Primary School.

He added: “There are several young people who are qualified to take over from (David) Kimaiyo and (Joseph) ole Lenku. We are telling the President we are tired of the Government contributing money for funeral expenses.”