Mandera teacher died a hero, says Boinnet

The body of Salah Sabdow Farah, a teacher who was among passengers who shielded non-Muslims during a terror attack, was yesterday flown to Mandera for burial.

Inspector General of Police Joseph Boinnet described Farah as a true hero who deserved the best treatment even in death.

"We provided a plane to fly the body home to Mandera for burial. He died while trying to shield innocent Kenyans," said Boinnet.

Salah Sabdow Farah earlier in hospital (PHOTO: COURTESY)

Farah was among those who shielded non-Muslims when Al Shabaab militants stopped their bus as they travelled from Nairobi and ordered them to group themselves based on their religions.

"Some form of courage came to me and I told the attackers that we were not going to do that. I do not know what got into me, but I knew these were bad people and they had to be stopped," said Farah in an earlier interview in Mandera hospital, moments before he was airlifted to Kenyatta National Hospital for specialised treatment.

On December 22 last year, Farah who had spent three weeks attending part time classes in Nairobi headed to Eastleigh to board a bus to Mandera. He was returning home - to his wife and five children.

Dunia Mohammed, his wife, said she had been waiting for her husband when a neighbour came running towards her and told her that Farah had been attacked and admitted to hospital.

"I was shocked. He had called me when he left Nairobi and told me to wait for him," said Ms Mohammed.

A day after the attack, Farah was airlifted to KNH for specialised treatment. Before he left, his children who stood watching bid him goodbye. While holding their hands, he promised to return home as soon as he got better. He never did – he died on Sunday evening after staying in hospital for almost one month.

Farah who was the deputy head teacher at Mandera Primary School was optimistic that he would get out of the hospital, grab his chalk and do what he loved most: teaching.

His brother Rasheed said Farah had died a hero, and had left a legacy that would remain long after he was buried.

"He was a great man in life and in death. He has left very young children, and I hope they will get help so that they live the life their father would have wanted them to have," said Rasheed.