Residents from the Salama-Kibaoni region in Lamu County are living in fear after armed goons raided their village in the wee hours of Sunday, June 25, morning.
The goons, who were suspected to be linked to the Al Shabaab militia group, burnt down two houses during the attack.
In what appeared to be a premeditated attack, the goons pulled out five residents from their houses in Salama Village and tortured them to death.
The Kenyan Government is, however, yet to confirm if the attack was carried out by the militia group.
Lamu West Sub-County Police Commander Harrison Njuguna, however, confirmed that security forces swung into action to bring those who conducted the attack to book.
“The motive behind the killings is suspected to be a dispute over grazing land,” Njuguna stated.
The commander revealed that the government was exploring the possibility that the incident could be terror-related because the five individuals were tied up with ropes before the heinous killing.
Ruto Statement on Somalia Border
The attack came a day after President William Ruto maintained that he harboured no regrets for his administration’s decision to open the Kenya-Somali border.
“It was and it still is the right decision because we have to confront the challenges of al Shabaab. We intend and have every chance to defeat the terror group,” the President insisted.
On Monday, May 15, Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki directed that the Kenya-Somali border in Lamu be reopened within 90 days.
Apart from Lamu, the Somali-Kenya border was to be reopened at Mandera and Garissa entry points for the first time in over a decade.
Speaking to Kenyans.co.ke, a former police officer and security expert George Musamali noted that the increased attacks at the Lamu border could have been occasioned by Kindiki’s directive.
“We should ask ourselves why the attacks have suddenly become rampant. It could be that there are powerful entities who were benefitting from the closed border and are against the reopening,” the expert argued.
Musamali was speaking on Monday, June 19, a day after 10 General Service Unit (GSU) police officers ran over an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) at Mlima wa Faru in Lamu County.
