Haji denies role in Tana Delta massacre

By PETER OPIYO

Acting Internal Security Minister Yusuf Haji has denied claims that he is behind the Tana River killings and instead blamed Galole MP, Dhadho Godhana for skipping peace meetings called to restore calm in the region.

While giving a personal statement in Parliament, the minister termed the remarks by Godhana as ‘serious allegations.’

On an interview on K24 TV recently, the minister said Mr Godhana made reference to him implicating him in the attacks. During the interview, Mr Godhana said that the cows slashed to death in the conflict belong to the minister and that it is his herders who were revenging by killing people.

“Mr Godhana made serious allegations that my cattle are being killed and that my herders are the ones chopping people in Tana Delta,” said the minister, adding that he is not involved in the conflict as his ranch is in Malindi.

He said Mr Godhana also referred to some of them as Al Shabaab sympathisers and that officials in the region were issuing National Identity cards to people of Somali origin without vetting thus causing chaos in the region.

 

Mr Haji, however, maintained that the Galole MP made remarks regarding the conflict that came to pass but denied ever referring to him as a murderer.

“He said on Citizen TV that unless am sacked, then more will come, and this happened,” said Haji in reference to the latest massacre of 38 people.

Last week, Godhana denied claims that he is behind the chaos and instead said the allegations leveled against him by Mr Haji and Fafi MP, Adan Sugow were out of personal differences because their constituencies neighbor his.

But Mr Haji said: “Yes I border Mr Godhana’s constituency but there is no fighting between us.”

He accused Godhana of not being committed to peace in the region and accused his constituents of dismantling water pipes and preventing water bowsers from accessing Haji’s Ijara constituency.

Haji said if indeed the MP is committed to peace, then he could not have held meetings in Garsen Constituency with elders without involving the area MP, Mr Danson Mungatana.