Residents claim top Al-Shabaab men roam town

By Paul Mutua

Anxiety gripped Kitui and Mwingi towns and surrounding environs when photographs of two suspected Al-Shabaab militiamen were published in The Standard on Monday.

The residents claimed that the two men, Ali Mohammed Rage and Sheikh Hassan Dahir Aweis, were frequently spotted in the towns.

"We know these men. They are not new in Kitui and Mwingi towns. One of them runs a business," a resident who requested anonymity said.

Kitui Central DC Joshua Chepcheing’ confirmed the people’s concerns but said no positive identification had been made.

"I have information that the two men in the photographs look familiar but I can’t say with certainty they are the ones people claim roam the town. They may be the ones or not," the DC told the Press in his office.

Volatile border

He called on the residents to be more vigilant and report suspicions characters suspected to be Al-Shabaab. The DC warned that Kitui County bordered the volatile North Eastern Province where some residents have been found to have close links with the terrorists.

"Locals must play their patriotic duty of helping the Government root out the terror network. The business community must support the military action in Somalia by cooperating with the police to stop members of the terror network from sneaking into the county and the country," he said.

The administrator asked owners of guesthouses to keep identity records of all visitors and urged them to report suspicious clients to the police.