Police chief ignores LSK and extends Lamu curfew
The curfew in Lamu County was Tuesday extended by another month.
It was the third time the Inspector-General of Police, Mr David Kimaiyo, gave the orders placing the area, which neighbours Somalia, under restriction.
The Law Society of Kenya recently gave Mr Kimaiyo 14 days to lift the curfew or face legal challenge.
“This extension comes under the backdrop of the security situation in the county which has not fully normalised and we are still receiving alerts of insecurity in a number of areas,” said Mr Kimaiyo in a statement.
This time, the orders also restrict movement in neighbouring areas like Bodhei, Basuba, Milimani and Kiunga.
TORTURE AND KILLINGS
Boni and adjoining forests are also prohibited areas and public transport on the Lamu-Garsen road must be under armed police escort.
All roads leading to Somalia but not designated as official routes are out of bounds to the public.
The roads are illegal and are popular with miraa transporters and other traders.
On Thursday last week, LSK chairman Eric Mutua said the curfew had undermined fishing and tourism, the main economic activities for residents.
He said a fact-finding team made up of lawyers had unearthed cases of extrajudicial killings and torture by security agents deployed in the area to track militiamen suspected of killing more than 60 people.
The police and military officers were sent there to deal with groups hiding in parts of the county, blamed for the Mpeketoni attacks that left 65 people dead on June 15.
