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Recent Insecurity In The Kakuma Refugee Camp

A Turkana house boy who was working at the Somali camp market was drawn by the high flowing river known as ‘Raggae’ while the boy attempted to cross the stream.

 

The boy was killed by the speedy flowing water without any rescue and the local communities neighboring the refugees were also seen at the grave yard in that evening. According to the information that was received on that evening on 17th May this year following the attacks.

Later that evening local Turkana community members leaving along the banks of that stream alleged wrongly that the boy was killed by the unidentified Somali and wanted the revenge. These local members further created disturbance along the camp main road that passes though Somali community. The two men were badly injured and collected to IRC hospital by the Ambulance.

On the evening of the following day 18th May, a house in Kakuma 1 of Somali community were invaded by seven (7) armed Turkana men where the family were beaten badly. The head of the family was tied by a rope and two men among the group rapped his wife in front of the husband “I was raped before the eyes of my own children and husband, I don’t even see any meaning of life anymore.” said mama H.W in an interview with KANERE journalist.

On the morning of the following day due to the strong bitterness within the Somalis especially in zone 5; who had some troubles with some Turkanas along the main refugee market, where a number of the boda boda riders and ordinary Somalis fought until General Service Unit (GSU) soldiers arrived and stopped it.

On this early evening hour at around 10:48 pm at Kakuma 4 camp of the newly relocated Somali communities, some unidentified gun armed men attacked the community. A mother of 6 who was outside of her living house was scared and silenced with a dull muzzle of the gun not to make a move or cry and they entered into the house of the family, the armed robbers shoot several bullets to scare off any intervention approach within their vicinity where a boy of 14 years was shoot twice both in stomach and right arm while other family member were assaulted badly which resulted to 6 people admitted to camp main hospital until they were referred to the Kakuma mission hospital for further treatment.

According to the invaded family the robbers were demanding huge some of money, immediately they got into the house and due to the fear and sudden action from the robbers who were demanding the children started running for their fear of life and at this point A. was shoot and got wounded badly. He was left behind other children who escaped narrowly and while he was struggling to escape he was shoot twice and fell down. “Immediately I saw these men and I doulged behind the room because I was only coming from the neighborhoods. Men were numerous and because it was at night I could not identified any of them.” said M. A the father of the boy. My son was shot twice, one on the ribs where his stomach were exposed and the other on the biceps, he added.

The cry cut off through the young night as the bullets burnt the air. Its still hard to tell or identify the robbers and if they were all armed or not. the police which patrol in Kakuma 4 went after the robbers but arrived late and then everything was already calm, in the same community 6 other person were toured inhumanly and escaped without attempted of rescue and among these group are a pregnant woman. The robbers were using sharp objects like pangas due to seriously injuries that were found on those victims.

Including Abdi a 14 year boy some victims were referred to Kakuma mission hospital where they received some better medical assistance. “He was taken to the surgical toile on Wednesday the 19th and discharged 23rd May 28, 2010 from IRC Refugee hospital.” said the nurse who was taking care of the boy in the isolation on the last day visited by the KANERE journalist in the isolation ward. “The boy has had serous complications now and has started experiencing nightmares where we saw him jumping out of bed, his brain isn’t stable yet and does not figure out any thing clearly” said Mr. M. A The journalist attempted to interview matron and the doctor but they did accept.