How Six Tigania Traders Met Death in Somalia
Six young men from two villages in Tigania West, Meru County, are being mourned following their deaths at the hands of suspected Al-Shabaab militants in Somalia last Friday.
A gloomy atmosphere descended upon the villages of Mweronkana and Karumo as the bodies were transported to Isiolo airport over the weekend, prompting families to begin preparations for the funerals.
On that eventful morning, Steven Mwenda, aged 36, along with Chris Mutuma, aged 18, Kenneth Ntongai, aged 20, David Muthaura, aged 21, and 18-year-olds Kenneth Mugambi and his cousin Jeremiah Mutembei commenced their usual business operations at 6:45 am.
Plastic utensils were available for purchase in Dhobley, located roughly five kilometers away from the border between Kenya and Somalia.
“It is a lucrative business where one can make a profit of at least Sh100,000 each month. The young men hoped to cash in on the Holy month of Ramadhan when sales are generally good,” Lewis Mwirigi who survived the attack said.
However, the six individuals tragically lost their lives as they were fatally shot by a terrorist group.
On Sunday, Mwirigi shared a harrowing experience where he narrowly escaped death, describing how he dashed away with bullets flying perilously close above him. Following the assault, they hastily left the country out of fear for their safety.
He mentioned that following the arrangement of their merchandise, a Toyota Probox parked close to their stalls, from which four individuals wearing hoods emerged. They fired shots into the air, catching everyone off guard as nobody anticipated their lethal intentions.
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In Somalia, a country notorious for the threat of the Al-Shabaab militia, witnessing individuals carrying firearms or the sound of gunfire is described as a routine event, he remarked.
However, on this occasion, humor was absent as the men began shooting at the traders, resulting in the immediate death of four individuals and leaving two others with severe injuries.
Al-Shabaab is designated as a terrorist organization by several countries and international bodies, including the United States, the United Kingdom, and the United Nations.
Even with the border closure, inhabitants from both nations persist in connecting and traversing the boundary for business transactions. According to Ali Manduku, Deputy County Commissioner of Liboi, the reason behind the killing remains undetermined.
According to the families, the victims sustained numerous gunshot injuries to their chest, head, and abdomen. Postmortems are scheduled for this week as the families prepare for their burial.
Relatives stated that their sons were diligent individuals who journeyed to Somalia in pursuit of improved opportunities.
Geoffrey Munjuri, the older brother of Mutuma, recounted that after their father’s passing in 2016, the family was left without a primary provider, leading to significant challenges in funding their education. Consequently, Mutuma had to discontinue his studies in Form Three last year due to financial constraints.
“My brother was determined to rescue our family out of poverty and joined his colleagues in Somalia. He promised our mother that after earning good money, he would go back to school. He had been there for a year and had started sending money back home. Now he’s dead,” Munjuri said, fighting back tears.
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“In December when Mutuma came home for the holidays we had a good time. This year he had high hopes and set a target that by December he would have saved enough money for school fees…it was not to be, now he is gone forever…”
Joseph Anampiu expressed that his son Mwenda, who has three children, was the beacon of hope for their family.
Mwenda, who has engaged in business activities in Somalia for the past three years, mentioned that he sends money home regularly to support his family.
“He was a good man and understood the challenges we were facing. I have lost my son who was the pillar of my family,” Anampiu said.
When questioned about why the young men chose Somalia, their families explained that while poverty was a factor, they were also motivated by a sense of adventure.
“Mugambi completed his KCSE last year and in January expressed the desire to venture into business. We could not deny him a chance to explore. He was a very ambitious young man with a bright future,” said Dickson Koinange, his uncle.
“We appreciate the government for transporting the bodies to Meru promptly. But we have no money to bury our sons and we appeal to people of goodwill to help us,” Koinange said.
How Six Tigania Traders Met Death in Somalia