24-hour curfew imposed in Wajir

A curfew has been imposed in Wajir Township after a teenager was seriously injured on the fourth day of inter-clan clashes on Monday.

Wajir County Commissioner Naftali Mung’athia imposed a dawn-to-dusk restriction after a mob armed with pangas and rungus attacked the boy at Wagberi Estate.

The county chief, who addressed journalists at Wajir Hospital after visiting the victim, said the curfew would help in preventing further attacks.

The boy, who suffered multiple cuts, was rescued by police. A suspect was arrested and would be charged, said Mr Mung’athia.

Several houses have been burnt at the estate in the past four days and about 250 families displaced.

At least 14 schools have been closed in Wajir following the killing of 12 people in Gunana on Wednesday night.

As the curfew took effect, Kenya Defence Forces soldiers confiscated bundles of military uniform at Highway Tailoring Centre in Wajir.

The soldiers surrounded the busy centre for over two hours as they ransacked the premises. They displayed to reporters cut fabric ready for sewing.

The intended destination of the uniforms was not clear, but security officials did not rule out Al-Shabaab.

“We suspect the uniforms we confiscated today may have been meant for the militia,” said Mr Mung’athia. Police called for reinforcement to deal with the heightened tension in the town.
MPs Adan Keynan (Eldas), Abbas Mohammed (Wajir East), Mohammed Elmi (Tarbaj) among other leaders visited the region yesterday and urged the government to stop the killings.
The leaders blamed police saying since the attacks began, no suspect had been arrested.

Separately, the National Assembly’s Parliamentary Caucus on Human Rights urged the government to take the inter-clan killings seriously.

Its members Agostinho Neto (Ndhiwa) Stephen Mule (Matungulu) and Abdullahi Diriye (Wajir South) said that despite the violence, General Service Unit officers and the military were yet to reach the area.

They said they had toured the region and did not see additional security officers despite the government’s pledge.

The Supreme Council of Kenya Muslims was similarly concerned about the clashes.

In a statement, its Secretary-General Adan Wachu demanded that the national government quickly restores order, provide humanitarian assistance, arrest culprits.