Interior CS Joseph Nkaissery extends Lamu curfew to January 25

Interior Cabinet Secretary Joseph Nkaissery takes oath of office at State House, Nairobi. (Photo:PSCU)

Nairobi, Kenya: Interior Cabinet Secretary Joseph Nkaissery has extended the dusk-to-dawn curfew in Lamu County mainland till January 25.

This is the fifth time the curfew is being extended since it was imposed in July 2014, following the death of over 100 people in attacks within the county.

The extension orders, however, exclude the Lamu Island of the county.

“Every person presiding within Lamu County mainland is directed to remain indoors during the period the curfew orders is in force except under and in accordance with terms of conditions of a written permit granted by the Lamu County Police Commander,” said Nkaissery in a statement.

While addressing a press conference moments after his swearing in on Wednesday, Nkaissery said that he would ensure all Kenyans are kept safe and asked for cooperation in fighting insecurity.

Outgoing Inspector General of Police David Kimaiyo had extended the curfew up to December 24, a move that had angered residents and leaders in the region.

The leaders argued that for the months the curfew has been in place the Lamu economy, which depends on fishing and tourism, had suffered a setback given most activities in the coastal towns happen at night.

Early December, Law Society of Kenya (LSK) filed a lawsuit seeking to have the Government compelled to lift the curfew saying that following its imposition, there were mass complaints of human rights violation, including rape and torture of the people at the hands of security forces. The agency had sued the Inspector General of Police, the Interior minister and the Attorney General. The society submitted that the Government had failed to protect residents of the island and compensate those who had been adversely affected by the attacks.

He said the curfew aggravated the already bad situation as people had been deprived of their source of livelihood.