Counties

Transport paralysed as Lamu road closed over rising insecurity

linda

Linda Boni Operation director Joseph Kanyiri (right) in his office. FILE PHOTO | NMG

Public transport has been paralysed after Lamu-Minjila road was closed for security reasons.

This follows increased attacks and threats by suspected Al-Shabaab militants on passenger vehicles.

Addressing journalists in Lamu on Monday, Linda Boni Operation Director Joseph Kanyiri said they had agreed with various security agents in the county that all public service vehicles should stop their operations as from Wednesday.

Mr Kanyiri also advised those planning to travel on the Lamu-Minjila road to cancel their trips until they get a go-ahead from security agents.

“We have information that our enemy, the Al-Shabaab, wants to plant more IEDs on the road with intention to kill locals and security agents,” Mr Kanyiri said.

“Travellers and the bus owners should bear with us...”

Lamu County Commissioner Gilbert Kitiyo said some travellers and drivers had been ignoring a government order that all vehicles get a police escort.

Mr Kitiyo said most of the vehicles attacked had no armed escort. “We have a law requiring drivers and passengers to move in a convoy under armed security escort. It has come to my attention that most of the vehicles being attacked are those without escort. People should respect that order for their benefit,” he said.

On Monday, two people were injured when the lorry they were travelling in from Mombasa to Lamu ran over an explosive at Nyongoro. Another lorry carrying bags of cement also ran over an explosive at the same area, but no one was injured.

On Wednesday last week, a bus ferrying passengers from Malindi to Kipini was attacked by suspected militants who fired at the vehicle from the bush and injured five passengers.

An hour later, three Tana River county government officials were killed when their vehicle was shot at by militants who set the vehicle ablaze.