The Star
Wednesday, April 24, 2013
Nineteen
people have been held in the ongoing police operation aimed at finding
those responsible for the recent incidents of security in the town. The
North Eastern police boss Charlton Mureithi said the 19 were foreigners
who did not have documents to be in the country and would be charged in
court this morning.
He did not explain how the police operation which is targeting
undocumented immigrants, will enhance security in the town since the
police have said they have no idea who is behind the recent
incidents,including last week's shooting at a local hotel where ten
people were killed.
The operation, carried by the GSU and members of the Rapid Deployment
Unit, has caused panic in the town with many residents leaving their
homes to settle on the outskirts of the town.
The residents fear being caught up in the operation where the police
have indiscriminately beaten and according to some of the local leaders,
even raped residents under the guise they are pursuing suspects.
The operation is being conducted without the involvement of top
security and administration officials who have been sent home following
an upsurge in the incidents which have cost dozens of lives in the last
two years.
Some of those sent home have attributed the insecurity to alleged
smuggling of activities. Unconfirmed reports indicate that some of those
interdicted were themselves involved in the sugar smuggling and other
illegal activities.
Their removal from office is expected to pave way for investigation
into these allegations. Internal Security permanent secretary Mutea
Iringo who led a high-powered delegation to Garissa warned that any
civil servant found to be engaged in illegal activities would face
severe disciplinary action.
The identities of those interdicted have yet to be made public.
However, sources within the police indicated they also included customs
officers who have gained a notorious reputation in the town.
During a Sunday night swoop conducted by a contingent of regular and
administration police, 80 people were arrested and bundled into a lorry
for not having identification documents. Out of the 80 arrested, only 19
will be taken to court and charged with being in the country illegally.
An unofficial curfew has also been imposed in the town with boda boda
operators and taxi-drivers being allowed to operate only between 6am in
the morning to 6pm in the evening.
Garissa County Commissioner Mohamed Maalim said the Kenya Defence
Forces had also closed the Kenya-Somalia border to prevent 'criminal
elements' from fleeing into Somalia.
“Our forces have sealed off the border with Kenya so that the gangs
who are behind the spate of bloodletting cannot get an avenue to escape.
Every effort is being done to crackdown on them”, said Maalim.
The government has offered a cash reward of between Sh50,000 to
Sh100,000 for any information that will lead to the arrest of the
criminal gangs operating in the town.
Maalim and the police were not forthcoming on whether they will be
investigating claims by residents that those behind the attackers have
been targeting business premises and establishments owned by non-locals.
The business community had in a previous meeting with the local
security and administration officials expressed their concerns about
they described as 'targeted attacks' and warned that unless they are
contained, the deepening suspicion might erupt into violence.