Angry mourners torch houses to avenge Wajir killings

Wajir, Kenya: Over 150 families were rendered homeless in Wajir town after their houses were razed down, as the inter-clan skirmishes pitting two clans took a different twist.

The families, predominately from the Garre community, took the brunt of 12 Degodia people killed on Thursday in Gunan in Tarbaj sub-county, after suspected Degodia youth turned their anger against Garre village on the peripheries of Wajir town.

Wajir county Commissioner Naftali Mungathia said the entire settlement was set fire on reducing houses into ashes.

“Many houses both permanent and traditional Somali hirios (huts) were razed down by the Degodia youth, who were presumably revenging for their people killed in Gunan on Thursday by suspected Garre armed militia” he said.

Mungathia said the arrival of the corpses of those brutally killed in Gunan raid, which was brought to Wajir town for burial, sparked anger leading to mourners to venting their anger on Wagbera village, where Garre are the majority dwellers.

The county commissioner said security personnel, who were deployed to the area after the incident, managed to repulse the rowdy mourners and secured the village as hundreds of panic stricken resident flee for safety.

No one was hurt during in the incident.