By ADOW JUBAT
Mandere,Kenya:Vehicles withdraw services in fear of bandit attacks by ‘Somali’ militia leaving commuters stranded
Hundreds of passengers are stranded in Mandera town following the withdrawal of public service vehicles from Lafey-Mandera road over increased insecurity.
The commuters heading to Lafey district, many of them civil servants and traders, who had gone to the town for business transactions and bank services, were left with no means of getting back after the three minibuses plying the route pulled out over banditry attacks.
Speaking to The Standard, Lafey ward representative Adow Diis Yarrow, who was among those stranded said frequent gun ambushes by suspected Somali militia has made the road inaccessible.
Cars hijacked
This follows attacks on the road users by the bandits, which left a Kenya Police Reservist injured and two vehicles ferrying miraa from Maua to Mandera carjacked in a span of three days.
Mr Yarrow said the attacks have scared motorists plying the road which passes less than five kilometres from the troublesome Somali/Kenya border.
“As I’m speaking to you now I’m stranded in Mandera, because the only road to my ward has been taken over by bandits who are attacking and robbing commuters. As leaders we have reported the incident to the concerned authorities to no avail,” he lamented. Yarrow blamed the Government for failure to stop the recurring “highway” attacks that has left many passengers in distress after being robbed of their possessions by the marauding gunmen suspected to be crossing from the Somali border town of Bulla-Xawa.
On Friday, a Kenya Police Reservist was injured in a gun ambush while escorting a public service vehicle carrying passengers to Lafey from Mandera town.
And on Monday last week, two land cruisers ferrying miraa were hijacked on the same road. The vehicles are still at large. Mandera East OCPD Jackson Rotich who confirmed the increased banditry said vehicles plying the route will be provided with armed security personnel to take them to their destinations safely.
