I fled into forest for my dear life
A villager at Hindi, Kibibonin Lamu County stares helplessly at a burnt homestead following the massacre of 11 people on the Saturday night on this photo taken on 6th July 2014. Photo/Kevin Odit
What you need to know:
- “We figured our lives were more precious that the house and the shop. We stayed there (forest) holding our children until morning,” she added.
- “It was no ordinary guns. The attackers seemed not to be in a hurry. I called the Officer Commanding Police Division and the OCS in vain but it’s the Garsen OCPD who promised to respond,” he said.
A woman identified as Mama Gacheche fled into the forest with her six-year-old child when the gunshots started.
“I decided to hide in the forest but the sound of the gunshots forced me to move deeper into the forest,” she told the Nation at Hindi trading centre in Lamu County yesterday.
Mr Charles Kinyua, 33, saved himself by spending the night at Hindi prison.
“I was on my way home from a funeral when the attacks started. Everyone was running into the forest but I found my way to Hindi prison where a friend accommodated me until this morning (yesterday),” he added.
Another survivor, Ms Josephine Odipo and her husband Muchemi were almost retiring to bed when they heard gunshots.
They quickly took their children and ran into the forest, leaving their house and a shop burning.
Most witnesses were women
“We figured our lives were more precious that the house and the shop. We stayed there (forest) holding our children until morning,” she added.
Most witnesses were women and girls who were spared, but left to watch the gory killings of their husbands, fathers, sons and brothers.
“I was with my step-daughter and grandchildren but they kept on asking me if there was any male in the house,” said one woman.
Mr Maulid Dibayu, a resident involved in community policing, said he was about to go to bed when suddenly, gunshots rent the air.
“It was no ordinary guns. The attackers seemed not to be in a hurry. I called the Officer Commanding Police Division and the OCS in vain but it’s the Garsen OCPD who promised to respond,” he said.
Mr Dibayu added that the shooting lasted for more than 30 minutes until around 11:30pm. The police arrived at 1am.
He further claimed that the attackers took one of the suspects in the Mpeketoni killings who was being held at the police station.
He speculated that the gunmen could be hiding around Witu because that was the direction they came from and also went after the killings.
