How bakery stopover saved our lives in Shabaab ambush

I was in the company of a cameraman, photojournalist and social workers in Lamu County for the better part of last week.

We had earlier like most of the travellers landed at Manda Airport, rode on a motorboat and booked rooms in Shela island.

There was a week-long itinerary which included visits to various parts of the county.

Our first three days were spent between Lamu town and Shela Island where most of the offices and hotels are located. The town is famed for its simplicity and looks safer than most places I have been to.

Residents expressed hopes that the high season would increase tourist traffic which had been affected by the 2011 kidnapping of an elderly British tourist.

Hoteliers also talked of how domestic tourists thronged the antique destination. Clerics and Sheikhs told of their efforts to preach peace, integration and unity to the diverse community.

ATTACKS REDUCED

On Wednesday, we talked about our next day’s visit to Mpeketoni through Lamu-Garsen road. In a reassuring tone, everyone said the area is safe and attacks have reduced; thanks to the multi-agency security operation.

But, I was not convinced. The anxiety was aggravated by friends and family who kept calling worried about my security.

Mpeketoni town, lies on the mainland some 30 kilometers southwest of Lamu island. You take a boat to Mokowe where you board a vehicle.

On your way there are several shopping centres which include Hindi, Ndeu, Milihoi, Kibaoni and then Mpeketoni. In 2014, Al-Shabaab attacked Hindi and either hacked to death or fatally shot the residents.

Milihoi is also a notorious terror hotspot where hordes of security officers and civilians, including the former Public Works PS Mariam El Maawy, her niece and four bodyguards lost their lives in Al-Shabaab attacks in 2017.

A General service Unit camp has since been set up near the area. But few things reminisce of the attacks.

THREAT OF ATTACKS

People go about their businesses as if ignoring the threat of attacks. Farmers plough their land, some preparing for late season planting. In some farms by the road side, the green maize is ready for harvest.

School going children stare and happily wave at our vehicle. Probox vehicles ferry passengers from Mpeketoni to Hindi and back. There are other travellers too who use the buses that ply the route.

Security agencies man the road and require travelers to alight from vehicles, produce national identification cards and be frisked at the roadblocks. Our driver also showed us spots of previous attacks.

At Mpeketoni, we spent the whole day documenting success stories. We also visited Lake Kenyatta. The weather was calm. Everything went as planned.

The dreaded happened about forty minutes past two on our way back to Lamu when we reached Mkunumbi Primary school.

A group of about six police officers were debating in hushed tones outside the school’s gate. Before we could go further, a speeding Probox arrived. As soon as it stopped, a woman short of breath jumped out of the car, sat on the murram road narrating how a few minutes ago, they narrowly escaped attack by suspected militants.

MILITANTS

“They have commandeered the road. Do not go that side. You will die,” shouted the woman who was in black veil (buibui) as she wept in shock.

Other public service vehicles and personal ones joined in as the passengers talked on how they had turned back on their way to Hindi after seeing the militants at Milihoi.

Fear, panic and uncertainty was written on everyone’s face. I can still remember how fast my heart beat at that time. We stayed at the spot for almost ten minutes. Two police vehicles later escorted the convoy through the terror hotspot.

The poor state of the road force vehicles to move slowly making them an easy target. The bush has grown tall following the heavy rains that pondered the Coast region in the past two months.

At the scene, heavy smoke emanated from the two burnt vehicles. Security officers from the Kenya Defence Forces, GSU and regular police were at the scene.

Everyone was dressed in body armour and helmet. A well-built officer held on to a huge gun mounted on the roof of a car.

GUNS ARE COCKED

You know it is a battle scene when all guns are cocked and pointed to the thicket. The security personnel alert.

The attackers had burnt down a police Land Cruiser and a civilian car whose occupants escaped. They also killed one police officer and injured two others.

The incident happened at 2.45pm. At this moment, I realised that were it not for the five minutes unplanned snacking stopover at a bakery in Mpeketoni, we would have been the one to face the militants.

We stopped for a while. The officers took cover in the bushes during the time before we were later allowed to continue with our journey under heavy escort to Hindi.

I was only at peace when I got back to Lamu town.

Three days past, I still ask myself. What would have happened to me? Would they have spared us?

I remember, crouching between seats and vowing never to go back to the area where we had a first-hand experience of the heightened war against Al-Shabaab.