Security team to review Tana River curfew

Members of the Orma community attend a peace meeting on December 22, 2012 in Kipao, in the Tana delta region. Photo/AFP  AFP

By DANIEL NYASSY dnyassy@ke.nationmedia.com and GALGALO BOCHA gbocha@ke.nationmedia.com
Posted  Thursday, April 11  2013 at  16:16

The dawn-to-dusk curfew imposed by former President Kibaki in Tana River County could be lifted if all the 35,000 displaced persons return home.

County commissioner Joseph Rotich said the security committee and commanders sent to keep peace in the area following ethnic clashes had started reviewing the situation.

The curfew was imposed in December following bloody clashes between the Orma and Pokomo communities.

About 200 people were massacred in the violence. Nine police officers were also killed and property worth thousands of shillings was burnt or destroyed.

According to the Kenya Red Cross Society, about 35,000 people were displaced from their villages.

Mr Rotich told the Nation by telephone on Thursday that once the displaced families were back home and the security situation continued to improve, the curfew could be lifted.

“Various departments, committees and stakeholders have to review the situation and then send a recommendation to the government for lifting of the curfew,” said Mr Rotich.

The new government, led by President Uhuru Kenyatta, has pledged to deal with insecurity in various areas, including Tana River.

About 2,000 police officers were sent to Tana to quell the violence but most of them have been withdrawn, leaving only about 400. The situation looks much calmer.

At the same time, the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) said learning at 11 primary schools and one secondary school affected by last year’s ethnic clashes in Tana Delta District would resume in second term next month.