By Moses Michira
GARISSA, KENYA: Last week, hooded gunmen opened fire on an informal eatery in Garissa town. This was the latest of a string of attacks in the area.
And now, investigators have linked the attacks to rising cases of radical Islamism that could spell disaster in future. That shooting at Kwa Chege restaurant that claimed ten lives followed many others in churches and on the streets, and detectives on the trail of the killers point to a common motive; inter-ethnic and inter-faith intolerance.
In support of their theory, witnesses in another daylight killing on one of the busiest streets in the town have been in a conspiracy of silence claiming to have only seen the victim but not the attackers. The two attackers accosted the victim, a young man in his 20s believed to be from ‘down country’, and shot him before walking away casually, according to a guard who works about 100 metres from the scene of the killing. Investigations into the killing have since been frustrated by the lack of cooperation from witnesses and suspects, who are believed to be residents of the town, remain free.
Incident of violence
But in contrast, the attacker in another incident of violence in the town on the week of March 4 elections was readily produced by his family, because the Islam faith which both professed, has a provision for forgiveness. Investigators said the families of the attacker and the victim have reached an amicable settlement, which involves compensation in form of livestock.
A criminal investigations officer, attached to Garissa town, said the lack of cooperation when the victims of the attacks are from the ‘down country’ reveals a dangerous trend that could set up the stage for further sectarian violence.
“Any violence or killings between locals is readily resolved by the community, but it is different when the victim hails from the down country,” he told The Standard on Sunday.
North Eastern Provincial Police boss Charlton Murithi was more diplomatic, saying in a separate interview on Thursday that the motive for the sectarian attacks remained unclear but was specific that it was linked to sympathisers of the Al-Shabaab.
The ‘down country’, as we came to learn, is a term used to describe people from all other parts of the country that are not predominantly Muslim. After several attacks in different churches in the town, Sunday worship in characterised with heavy police presence for fear of repeat violence targeting Christian institutions. However, the Supreme Council of Kenyans Muslims has always said the attacks were acts of terrorism.
