The national government has ordered all displaced persons in Lamu who are staying in IDP camps to go back to their homes amidst security uncertainty in the county.
The state has equally ordered the closure of all IDP camps that had been established to house thousands who had fled their homes fearing more terror attacks.
There are four IDP camps at the Witho trading centre, Shalom Academy School in Kibaoni, Juhudi and Holy Angels Primary Schools in Lamu West
These four camps are holding about 2,400 people.
Most of the IDPs are from Juhudi, Marafa, Salama, Mashogoni, Bobo-Sunkia, and surrounding villages, all in Lamu West subcounty.
The IDPs have however vowed not to go back home despite assurances of security.
Joseph Kimani of Witho village says he doesn’t think the government is being genuine about having secured their villages.
“It's just last week that they killed six people in my village and now everything is already okay? That can't be. I think the government is embarrassed to have us in camps and that’s why they are pushing us out but we won’t go,” Kimani said.
The IDPs have questioned why the government seemed more intent on disbanding the camp than their welfare.
“Until we see security camps in our villages, we shall stay put. Some of us had our homes torched, where do we stay? We need food and all the support but they are busy saying we should leave camps,” Lucy Waitherero of Juhudi said.
Coast regional commissioner John Elungata directed the immediate reopening of all schools that had been closed following attacks by suspected al Shabaab militia.
The attacks left 15 people dead and over 10 houses torched.
Elungata spoke when he visited Lamu on Saturday.
This comes amid reports that the national government had deployed multi-agency security officers to restore normalcy.
At least five schools have been closed.
Heads of affected schools have since been served with letters from the subcounty education office directing them to re-open schools immediately.
“Some of the schools are IDP camps and they are still here yet we are being told to open schools. We don’t know how to go about it,” a teacher who spoke anonymously said.
Elungata who was accompanied by Coast regional police commander Manase Musyoka, met county security bosses led by Lamu county commissioner Irungu Macharia at Kibaoni police station to assess the security situation.
He inspected a guard of honour mounted by the National Police Reservists, who have been deployed in all the villages that were recently attacked by militants.
Elungata urged the IDPs to go back home and assured them that their villages had been secured, adding that there would be no further attacks.
He said enough military and police officers have been deployed and there was no cause for worry.
“We are urging the displaced families to go back home because normalcy has been achieved. We are enough security officers here including the NPR,” Elungata said.
He said leaving the camps will enable the government to plan well on a return-to-school formula for institutions that have been closed because of the recent attacks.
Elungata also urged residents to cooperate with security agencies by volunteering any information that will enable the successful capture of those behind the attacks.
He warned that those using social media to escalate tension in the region and cause animosity among residents will be pursued and arrested.
“Let us avoid incitement, whether it’s on social media or any other platform. Let people cooperate with our officers to defeat the enemy,” Elungata said.
Edited by Kiilu Damaris
