Omamo: 128 bodies identified
Defence Cabinet Secretary Raychell Omamo consoling some of the parents and relatives to Garissa University students at Nyayo National Stadium where a centre had been put up to trace the students after the attack. Some of the names were still missing in the list. PHOTO | BILLY MUTAI | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- She was accompanied by other members of the inter-ministerial team on the crisis who included, Attorney-General Githu Muigai, Amina Mohamed (CS, Foreign affairs), Physlis Kandie (Tourism), Ann Waiguru (Devolution), Judy Wakhungu (Environment), Najib Balala (Mining), Ali Wario (Sports), Jacob Kaimenyi (education), Fred Matiang’i (Information), James Macharia (Health), Head of Public Service Joseph Kinyua and National Treasury PS Kamua Thugge among others.
- She disclosed that the Ministry of Education through the Garissa University College will support the victims with Sh100, 000 for each affected family.
The government on Wednesday announced that 128 out of 142 bodies of students killed in the Garissa University College attack have been identified.
Defence Cabinet Secretary Raychell Omamo said the identification had been done through a scientific finger print matching process aided by data from the Civil Registration Department and involvement of 25 government pathologists.
“The process of identifying the remaining 14 bodies is set to be completed by the end of Wednesday.
“All post-mortem have been done as required and the temporary crisis centre at Nyayo National Stadium has been closed. The remaining services have been transferred to Chiromo,” said Ms Omamo.
She spoke during a press briefing on the attack at Harambe House in Nairobi.
She was accompanied by other members of the inter-ministerial team on the crisis who included, Attorney-General Githu Muigai, Amina Mohamed (CS, Foreign affairs), Physlis Kandie (Tourism), Ann Waiguru (Devolution), Judy Wakhungu (Environment), Najib Balala (Mining), Ali Wario (Sports), Jacob Kaimenyi (education), Fred Matiang’i (Information), James Macharia (Health), Head of Public Service Joseph Kinyua and National Treasury PS Kamua Thugge among others.
During the attack, 123 students were killed in their hostels while others were shot and killed as they tried to escape, bringing the death toll to 142.
“The number of fatalities constitute 65 female and 77 male students. The number of those rescued was 613 students and 50 members of staff,” she said.
She disclosed that the Ministry of Education through the Garissa University College will support the victims with Sh100, 000 for each affected family.
Mr Macharia defended the government against accusations that it had not handled the situation well, saying that, to the contrary, it did its best.
Ms Mohamed said no government could tell its people with certainty that they will never be attacked by terrorists.
“What we are doing is to keep improving our capabilities and capacity and addressing issues that relate to recruitment of Kenyans into terror groups,” said Ms Mohamed.
