- Then Devolution CS Anne Waiguru pledged the national government would help rebuild all premises
- About six years down the line, the affected persons still wonder whether the government was genuine
Nearly six years on, justice remains elusive for persons whose property was destroyed when al Shabaab militants raided Mpeketoni and neighbouring areas on the night of June 15, 2014.
The bloody night massacre left over 100 men dead by the next morning.
Property worth millions of shillings was destroyed including hotels, business premises and vehicles that were torched or blown up by the militants.
A day after the brutal attack, then Devolution CS Anne Waiguru pledged that the national government would help rebuild all premises that had been destroyed.
Waiguru said National Youth Service officers would be deployed to Mpeketoni to evaluate the damage and embark on reconstruction.
About six years down the line, the affected persons still wonder whether the government was genuine and sensitive to what had befallen them.
The affected persons have accused the government of neglect and downplaying the losses they incurred following the terror attack.
Notably, after the attack insurance companies refused to help those affected insisting that they didn’t have cover for terrorism-related losses.
Francis Gathonga whose hotel was blown off during the attack says he left Mpeketoni as he no longer felt safe setting up business in the town.
He feels let down by the government as no updates have been made on whether the government intended to follow through with the promise to rebuild their destroyed premises.
He says many other people whose business premises were destroyed have also left Mpeketoni for other safer areas within and outside Lamu.
“Some of us had put up buildings after obtaining loans that we hadn’t even finished repaying and then the attack happened and we lost everything," he says.
"The government never really came to our aid as they promised and we still wonder if our loss meant anything to them."
John Wanyoike whose Breeze View and Deep Sea hotels located in Mpeketoni and Kibaoni areas respectively were blown up by the terrorists says he is still trying to rebuild but it’s too expensive.
He says it is unfair the government did not fulfill its promise but they haven’t given up hope.
“Why make a promise you can’t fulfill to people to have just lost their entire life savings through a terrorist attack? We were so desperate and vulnerable and still are. We can’t do this on our own. Insurance companies have refused to help saying they don’t cover for terrorism and so, basically, we are on our own,” Wanyoike said.
Joyce Kimani whose hotel was also blown up by the militants said they feel betrayed by the government that refused to come to their aid at their most vulnerable moment.
“It’s been seven years but our lives are never the same. It’s better to betrayed by any other person but not a government that should have your interests at heart. We expected more than what we got. They lied to us at a time when we needed them most,” Kimani said.
Edited by Henry Makori