Fears of al-Shabaab attacks halts buses

MANDERA: Several non-local Kenyans living and working in the restive border town of Mandera have been stranded for days after commuter buses refused to ferry them over security concerns.

The residents yesterday held demonstrations demanding that the government intervene by providing armed police escorts for buses on the Mandera-Nairobi route since al-Shabaab has been targeting buses ferrying non-locals (Christians) and killing commuters.

Mohamed Bardad, chairman of the Mandera Bus Association, said the move follows the government’s withdrawal of armed security escorts.

Bardad said the action was meant to protect non-locals living in Mandera which has been rocked by increased terror attacks by al-Shabaab.

“We cannot risk lives of fellow Kenyans as they are the target of al-Shabaab attacks. Without armed police escorts we are going to suspend transport for non-locals… or protect lives,” Bardad said.

Only passengers of Somali origin were allowed on the buses, with owners saying they were under strict instructions not to carry non-locals.

He also said some residents in central and eastern Kenya were threatening to stop Mandera buses from travelling through the vast regions for refusing to carry their families and friends.

Bardad said the residents claimed that if the buses could not carry non-locals then they must find alternative routes to Nairobi.

Mandera County has been subjected to vicious attacks since 2014 in which dozens of non-locals have been killed in commuter buses, quarry sites and in other social places.

Al-Shabaab militants have claimed responsibility for the attacks which they said were in retaliation after Kenyan soldiers launched cross-border attacks in southern Somalia to face the insurgents in 2011.

The county and other parts of northern Kenya have been subjected to successive explosive attacks by al-Shabaab operatives in the country following the onslaught by Kenyan soldiers on the militants in Somalia.

Mandera County Commissioner Fredrick Shisia said the government was strategising its security operations on the roads following an attack on two escort vehicles that were burnt by al-Shabaab recently.

“At the moment we have withdrawn armed police escorts following continued attacks on our installations, but will resume after all is okay,” Shisia said.

James Njuguna, who works as a mason in Mandera town, said his dreams of going for December holidays had been shattered as he could not afford an air ticket.

“It is $310 for a return flight… my job does not give me the money to enable me to take a flight to Nairobi,” said Njuguna.

The non-locals have held a series of demonstrations since Monday to press the government to accord the vehicles armed security escort. – Xinhua