Tana River governor says No to curfew

What you need to know:

  • The curfew is the second one in as many years in the area. It will seriously affect the county’s economy and the social life of the residents, whose movements will now be restricted.

Tana River Governor Hussein Dado has protested against a dusk-to-dawn curfew slapped on the county following the terrorist attack at Garissa University College.
Speaking by phone Friday, Mr Dado said the county should not have been included among the four where the curfew was introduced. The other counties are Wajir, Garissa and Mandera.

“We did not deserve to get another curfew because we have been relatively calm for nearly two-and-a half years here. We should not be linked with Al-Shabaab.”

The curfew is the second one in as many years in the area. It will seriously affect the county’s economy and the social life of the residents, whose movements will now be restricted.

“This fresh curfew came to us as a big surprise because we are not aware of any Al-Shabaab attack here. We have had our problems, which led President Mwai Kibaki to slap a curfew in 2012. But these were not at all related to the Garissa attack,” he said.

Tana River, he said, was peaceful and should not be lumped together with the other troubled areas.