Grief, anger as 11 terror victims laid to rest

Caskets bearing remains of 11 quarry miners who were killed by Al Shabaab terrorists in a residential building in Mandera. Leaders who attended the burial called on Interior Cabinet Secretary Joseph Nkaissery to impose a curfew in Mandera and other areas in North Eastern. [PHOTO: JOB WERU/STANDARD]

Nyeri, Kenya: Anger, sorrow rent the air at Chaka Stadium in Kieni, Nyeri County as relatives, friends and residents paid their last respects to 11 victims of the latest terrorist attack in a residential building in Mandera.

The mourners braved the scorching sun for interdenominational funeral service that lasted almost three hours, with speaker after speaker calling for immediate slapping of a curfew in Mandera.

The burial service led by Bishop Paul Wanjohi was graced by Water Cabinet Secretary Eugene Wamalwa, who delivered President Uhuru Kenyatta's condolences, Nyeri County Commissioner Michael Ole Tialal and Deputy governor Samuel Wamathai and a number of MPs.

The leaders registered their anger due to unending deaths caused by terrorists, noting that Nyeri has lost more than 30 lives to terror related attacks.

The leaders, who included the host Senator Mutahi Kagwe and MPs Kanini Kega (Kieni) and Peter Weru (Mathira) demanded that Interior Cabinet Secretary Joseph Nkaissery impose a curfew in all areas rife with terror attacks.

"We are sad and angry. We have lost more than 30 lives in Nyeri out of these satanic attacks caused by the Al Shabaab. These are devils attacking innocent people," said Kagwe.

Military training

He said it is only Nkaissery and his Defence counterpart Rachel Omamo who can save the country by eradicating Al Shabaab militants.

"We have to kill these terrorists when they are still in Somalia, before they kill us," he said.

"We are demanding that the government takes any worker intending to operate in north eastern through the necessary military training and also offer them guns to protect themselves," Kagwe added.

Kega and Dagoretti South MP Dennis Waweru demanded that National Assembly Majority Leader Adan Duale and all elected leaders in north eastern region produce the list of Al Shabaab sympathisers, financiers and militants.

"We are fed up. They call press conferences after every attack where they only condole with those who are grieved. We will now be mentioning them by names so that they act and stop these killings," said Kega.

Waweru demanded for a curfew in affected regions, adding that leaders will move to court to compel the government to take action and protect its people.

"We are also demanding that the leaders in these regions produce these terrorists. We demand that Nkaissery imposes a curfew, failure to which we will move to court," said Waweru.

Weru noted that Central MPs engaged the public in war against alcohol and called on north eastern leaders to do the same on terrorism.

Others who attended the burial were MPs Ndung'u Gethenji (Tetu), Priscillah Nyokabi (Nyeri), Kamande Mwangi (Maragua) and former MPs PG Mureithi, Raphael Wanjala and former minister Dr Noah Wekesa.