Leaders from Garissa county have accused the government of laxity despite being warned in advance of Saturday’s attack in Damajaley location.Garissa County governor Nadhif Jama, SUPKEM secretary general Abdullahi Salat, Hamud Sheikh and peace lobby groups expressed concern in the manner in which the police have reacted to security threats in the area.
Garissa has been in the middle of retaliatory attacks by al shabaab ever since Kenyan troops marched into Somalia in late 2011. Calm is however said to be slowly returning to Damajaley location after the weekend attack that left left five people dead and two people abducted.
Dadaab DC Albert Kimathi said police officers had been deployed in the area to enhance security, adding that administration police posts in the district along the border would be beefed up.
Kimathi also revealed that a team of GSU, regular and administration police had embarked on mission to try and save the two officers, constables Joseph Wambugu and Fredrick Chirchir, who were abducted during the attack.
“Our officers are following up on crucial leads that will assist us get the two officers, we will not relent until we get them back,” said the DC. The abduction of the two police officers brings the number of Kenyans in the hands of the militia to four . Area DO Edward Mulei and the registration officer Frederick Wainaina were in January last year abducted and are suspected to be in captivity somewhere in Somalia. Injured chief of Damajaley Omar Khalif has been discharged from the Kulan hospital where he had been admitted.
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