Nkaissery extends curfew by a month

Interior Cabinet Secretary Joseph Nkaissery has extended the curfew imposed in Mandera, Wajir, Garissa and Tana River counties by one month.

This came as locals complained the curfew imposed a month ago was affecting their operations.

“This order (curfew) shall apply during the hours of darkness, the period between 6.30p.m. and 6.30a.m. for a period of one month,” read a Special Gazette Notice dated May 15.

“Under the curfew order, no gathering or procession should have more than five persons without authorisation of the county police commander,” Mr Nkaissery wrote.

The order also bans possession, carrying or display in public of offensive weapons by any person who has no lawful or legal reason to have such weapons.

The curfew was due to expire on May 16, 2015.

Nkaissery said the new curfew takes effect from May 17 to June 16, 2015, when the decision whether to extend it shall be made.

The curfew was imposed after four terrorists raided Garissa University College on April 2 and killed 148 people, including 142 students.

The attack has affected business operations in the region.

Locals say they have lost much since the curfew was imposed.

Security agents

There have been heightened security operations and more security personnel have been moved there since.

But the Al-shabaab terror group has defied the operations and attacked security institutions there killing one police officer and injured 17 other officers.

The 17 include three Kenya Defence Forces soldiers who were attacked in Ijara. Police officers were also attacked on Tuesday night in Hamey area at the Kenya-Somalia border in Garissa County.

There have been fears more attacks would happen in the area.

Meanwhile, some small scale traders in Nairobi are counting losses after county officials demolished their makeshift structures, rendering them jobless.

The over 30 traders operating along Baricho Road near claim the officers destroyed their structures without prior notice from the Nairobi City County government.

They also accuse the county askaris of looting their property during the operation.

“The county government mounted an operation on May 10, this year to remove illegal structures along Baricho Road after issuing the traders with removal notices,” County Director of Communications Beryl Okundi said.

Ms Okundi said the demolition was prompted by complaints by the business community from the area. She said a total of 18 illegal structures were destroyed during the exercise.

She warned those yet to remove their illegal structures to do so before they are demolished by the county government.

“We do not know the reasons why our shops were destroyed,” said Harrison Kamau, who deals in vehicle spare parts in the area.

He added that the destruction was done selectively with some structures being spared.

“Some of us have operated here for 15 years and we find it discriminating for some structures to be demolished while others are spared,” Mr Kamau said.