Nyeri County loses six quarry workers in another Al-Shabaab killing in Mandera

NYERI: Gathaithi village in Kieni East, Nyeri County, lost six quarry workers after suspected Al Shabaab militants struck in Mandera.

 

The remote village of Chaka was yesterday grieving following reports that Al Shabaab militant had killed 14 people, six of them from the area.

 

The attack comes barely six months after 14 of their colleague from the neighbouring Gatei village were killed in a similar attack on December 2. Those who lost their lives in the attack are Charles Macharia,27, Samuel Kinywa,36, Zachary Wambugu,35, Charles Njiri, 39, Joseph Wahome and Peter Warui.

Wambugu's sister Nancy Mureithi said all the six were relatives and close neighbours with homes barely 600m from each other.

She said most of them had been in Mandera for only two months.

Two other quarry workers who had returned to Nyeri a few days ago learned of the attack while in Isiolo.

James Mwangi and Francis Wamae were on their way back to the area but decided to spend the night in Isiolo and resume their journey the following morning. Little did they know the decision would save their lives.

"I'm lucky to be alive. Had it not been for the few days I decided to spend with my family, I would have died since we used to share a room with five of the victims," Mr Wamae said.

Mwangi said they had decided to travel to Mandera in search of jobs after several quarries at Chaka were closed down.

"Quarry workers there earn Sh30 per feet, compared to Sh8 paid at Chaka where we used to work. Lack of job opportunities has left us with no option but to travel far and wide in order to provide for our families," Mr Mwangi said.

He claimed the attack was carried out by locals with the aim of scaring away people from other counties.

Wambugu's father William Ndungu said he had warned his son against going to work in the quarry.

"He travelled secretly and we only came to learn he was in Mandera a few days after his arrival," Mr Ndung'u said. He said North Eastern was facing some of the worst security challenges.

"The region has no security as the Government would want us to believe. We thought with the first attack something would be done to avert a repeat, but the status quo remains," he said.

Kieni East Deputy County Commissioner James Chacha said they were consulting with the victims' kin on the next course of action.

Area MP Kanini Kega dispatched a vehicle to ferry the families of the victim to Nairobi to help in the identification of bodies.