MP claims GSU officers razed village in Tana

The General Service Unit (GSU) officers deployed to deal with the violence in the Tana Delta razed 67 houses in one village, Garsen MP Danson Mungatana has claimed in Parliament.

Mr Mungatana said the officers raided Ozi village at 5.45 am on Monday as they searched for weapons.

He claimed that the GSU men had subsequently prevented access to the village so teams from the Red Cross can offer assistance. The press has also been barred from getting to the victims, he said.

The MP made the claim as he sought an explanation from the Internal Security minister Yusuf Haji over the latest events from the troubled delta in his constituency.

He termed the latest incident “strange” given that it involved the same security agents that were supposed to restore law and order.

“Who gave the command for houses to be burned and was there no other way to search for weapons?” the MP asked.

He asked the minister to explain what action would be taken on the officer commanding the units. If the police claim not to have been behind the attacks, he said, then they should explain whether the deployment had been infiltrated by someone else.

Mr Mungatana has also asked the minister to explore the possibility of removing officers from the Coast and Cushitic tribes from those deployed to the region. He said this would remove the misunderstanding that there could be discrimination in the operation.

He asked the government to come up with a plan for the reconstruction of damaged homes and compensation for losses and suffering.

Speaking on the government’s behalf, Attorney General Githu Muigai said the judicial commission to investigate the violence would handle Mr Mungatana’s complaints.

The team is likely to be named and legally empowered to start working via a notice in the Kenya Gazette on Friday.