Relief as two-day protest over dusk-to-dawn Lamu curfew ends

The protest by traders in Lamu over the ongoing dusk-to-dawn curfew has ended.

The two-day protest paralysed businesses and transport to and from Lamu Town.

Many businesses, hotels and shops on the island opened Thursday morning, signifying the end of the protest.

The two-day shutdown was aimed at pushing Inspector-General of Police David Kimaiyo to end the curfew, which started in July 2014.

Business premises, offices and the municipal market, among others, had been shut since the protests started on Tuesday this week.

The transport sector was also affected and no boats or buses were allowed to do business on the island in the past two days.

Nation.co.ke, however, confirmed that many travel booking offices, shops, markets, hotels and restaurants on the island opened Thursday morning, an indication that things were returning to normal.

BOAT TRANSPORT RESUMES

Boat and bus transport also resumed, with many travellers flocking booking offices to re-book for journeys that had to be postponed following the shutdown.

The two-day freeze of activities saw traders incurring huge losses as many perishable goods went stale because no one was allowed to buy or sell.

The effects were also felt by residents who were caught unawares by the freeze of activities as many had started complaining of hunger.

Traders who were interviewed by Nation.co.ke on Thursday morning expressed their relief after the strike came to an end.

Mr Mohamed Omar, a street vendor at Langoni in Lamu Town, said he was happy that things had resumed as the protest had already started to hurt his business.

“The two days are enough. I am happy that we are now allowed to sell our wares. I was really wondering when this protest would come to an end.

“I hope the government will do something so that the peace we have been enjoying in Lamu is not interrupted at all,” said Mr Omar.

Boat operators were also glad the strike had ended.

BIG BLOW TO BUSINESS

Mr Awadh Hassan, the Lamu Boat Operators Association chairman, said the two-day shutdown on transport was a big blow to their business.

“We have incurred huge losses in these two days. We need the government to remove the curfew so that we don’t experience any other issues that affect us even more,” said Mr Awadh.

Some residents and civil society groups, however, swore not to relent in their quest to have the curfew lifted.

Officials from Muslims for Human Rights (Muhuri) and Save Lamu Civil Society Groups told Nation.co.ke that they full supported the Lamu people.

Mr Fahad Chanji, a Muhuri legal officer, said they had already filed a case in court seeking to have the curfew lifted.

Save Lamu chairman Mohamed Abubakar expressed his discontent, saying it was unfair for the government to extend the curfew every month.

He wondered why the government had remained silent over the issue even after the two-day strike.

GOVERNMENT SILENT

“I was expecting a reaction from the government after the freeze of activities in Lamu Town.

"I can’t imagine that no one in government has said anything so far.

“We need this curfew lifted or mapped only in areas affected by the June-July attacks,” said Mr Abubakar.

Meanwhile, Lamu County AP Commander Chrispus Mutali accused ‘ill-minded’ individuals of misleading Lamu locals and warned that the government would not bow to intimidation from anyone.

Speaking to journalists in Lamu Town on Wednesday, Mr Mutali said the government’s stand on the curfew remains the same and that it would go on until all the guns used during the Lamu attacks that left over 70 people dead are recovered.

He called on residents to cooperate with security officers to ensure peace prevails in the region.

“Many guns were used in executing the June-July attacks. So far we have not recovered many of them. The residents should be patient and let the government do its duty. We need the curfew in the entire Lamu County to enable us fight insecurity,” said Mr Mutali.