GOVERNMENT CONDEMNED OVER BEING RELUCTANT IN RESPONDING TO THE TANA RIVER MASSACRE

By EMMANUEL BOAZ

Peace and security for development (PSD) network that comprises five organizations yesterday condemned the government for being reluctant in responding to the massacre killing in Tana River County. Coast Interfaith Council of Clerics (CICC), Council of Imams and Preachers of Kenya (CIPK), Kenya Muslim Youth Alliance (KMYA), Likoni Community Development Program (LICODEP) and Muslim for Human Rights (MUHURI) have come together to make sure there is justice, security and prosperity in the community. “We feel that there is discrimination. If there are other tragedies in other areas, the government reacts faster and sends appeal, emissaries, martialing government resources bur now that about 50 people have been killed in tanariver, many losing their homes and livestock but nothing has been done not even an official statement from the government over this issue has been heard. Is it because this is a marginalized area?” said the executive director MUHURI Mr Hussein Khalid. Why has the government done completely nothing about the worsening situation in Tana River County? Is it because the area is densely populated and gathers not so many votes or is it because the residents are poor so as to be killed and massacred in a cold blooded manner? Where is the prime minister the president and the minister of internal security? He added. The vice chairman CICC Sheikh Ahmed Said that laxity in the part of security authority bearers hence making helpless children and women become a victim of such kind of skirmishes if the government takes more interest in ensuring security is beefed up such kind of massacres would be either controlled of kept to a minimum or avoided altogether. Bishop Kinoyah a CICC member said that it is perturbing that from the year 1998 we have an infiltration of small fire arms and this has been well known to the authorities we have had skirmishes on and off in various areas well known to the authorities some of these pastoralists need to bring their cattle to water points we wonder if these water points were availed so that they would not have a need or reason for the cattle to pass through the farms they were supposed to have areas where they would get to water points without interfering with the farms. If this was taken care of and availed, the skirmishes would have been maintained at a minimum. “All this happened despite the fact that information on the ground was made available to the authorities. Several meetings were held prior to the violence but the authorities downplayed the concerns and instead assured the public that all was well,” Said the human Right Officer Tana River County Ms Kupesha Mohammed. “We insist that our good government portrays a picture of concern which so far has really lacked. Some of the people have been housed by their relatives while others are in the bush. She added The network demands that the tanariver people must be treated like human beings. The government’s inaction and failure to address the concerns of the people in tanariver has brought all these actions to take place. The PSD networkalso demanded that swift action to be taken by the minister of internal security and special programs and set aside funds to help thebereaved familiesand those injured, dead buried and those that are hurt taken to hospital. Homes that were destroyed should also be rebuilt. “We appeal to the public to get concerned over the state of affair in the region and also contribute funds, foodstuffs and medicine to the affected communities” The group has already dispatched a strong team of human rights activists, religious leaders, peace makers, social workers and conflict managers to TanaRiver County to assist our officers on the ground to restore peace They urged the people of Tana River County in particular those from the Orma and Pokomo communities to exercise restraint and soberness. “We urge the three Members of Parliament of Tana River County, Honorable Danson Mungatana, Nuh Nassir and Dado Godana to personally see to it that peace prevails in the region.” This reaction comes a day after there were massacre killing in of 50 residents of Riketa in Tana River County most of them being women and children. Ends