Fear, fury as deadly gangs tighten grip on Garissa

Residents and leaders demand action as gang violence and killings rise in Garissa. [iStockphoto]

Growing insecurity in Garissa has sparked outrage among residents and leaders, who are demanding swift intervention from security authorities following a wave of robberies and fatal attacks attributed to armed gangs.

The latest victim is an 18-year-old Osman Aweeys, a US citizen who was visiting family in Garissa, when knife-wielding gangs riding on two boda boda allegedly waylaid him before robbing him and stabbing him to death.

Yesterday, Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale asked the security Agencies to swing into action and ensure the culprits are brought to book, adding that the suspects have reportedly fled to the refugee camp.

Duale, who said the current situation, if not checked, might turn out to be like Haiti, noted that the Ruto-led government will not allow such gangs to continue killing and instil fear in the residents.

“I have already talked to the security heads in Garissa, our mothers cannot go to the market, even going to the mosque is a problem because of young people who are known and we will not accept that,” said Duale while speaking at a wedding ceremony.

The vocal CS gangster robbing residents is well known to their parents within the community, asking parents to contain their children, saying no one has the right to kill another.

“I ask leaders to be very firm because if we don’t decisively put measures in place now, our town might be taken over by gangs like Haiti,” Duale said.

Recently, Garissa Governor convened a stakeholder meeting of security agencies, elders and religious leaders, saying the security situation in the town is getting out of hand.

The governor blamed security agencies, saying there are serious security lapses in the security apparatus, wondering why the gang members are not arrested.

“The national security does your work and asks us where you want us to support you both at the county and the people of Garissa, but it's your mandate to secure the people,” he said after meeting with senior security officials.

As leaders engage in rhetoric, the family of the latest victim asked the security agencies to speedily apprehend his killers, whom they said are well known.

 Deka Abdi Mohamed said her son came for vacation and was only three months in the country, narrating how her son was killed as a result of a phone call.

“I ask all leaders, including President Ruto and other leaders, if I need justice for my son, who was an orphan and I raised him with a lot of difficulties,” she said with tears on her cheeks.

The latest killings by the gangs come after another killing of a tutor at Garissa teachers' training college, who was also allegedly killed by the knife-wielding gangs.

They also killed another young man after he had led a Friday prayer; several people are also nursing life-threatening injuries.