Lamu welders accused of manufacturing explosives for Al Shabaab

By , K24 Digital
On Mon, 29 Nov, 2021 19:19 | 2 mins read
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Welders operating in Lamu county were on Monday, November 29 put on the spot over working in cohorts with Al-Shabaab militants in the manufacturing of Improvised Explosives Devices (IED).

John Elunguta who is the Coast Regional Commissioner accused the welders who operate near Boni Forest and along the Lamu- Coast border as those of being awarded tenders to make the IEDs which are later used in killing innocent Kenyans and police officers.

He said that the welders are the ones who usually give out the metals to the terrorists who then use them in making the explosives and other weapons that they use when carrying attacks.

“We all know that the areas within Boni Forest have no connection to electricity and the only way the militants are able to make IEDs and other terror equipment is that they are supplied from towns within the coastal region,” he said.

In new directives to chiefs in the county, the commissioner said that those attached to Mokowe, Mpeketoni, Hindi, Witu and Kibaoni carry out probes and identify all the welders who work in their region.

In addition, he said that they should also record their personal details in order to keep track of the chiefs.

“We have been tipped by locals that some welders here in Lamu have been awarded tenders by the terrorists to weld and also manufacture IEDs,” he said.

In a damning revelation, Elungata also said that they had been informed that a section of locals was in direct contact with the militants as they were feeding and even protecting them.

He also said that the Kenyan government was planning to put up a Kenya Defense Force (KDF) camp in the region so as to curb the presence of militants in the county.

Elungata also asked those who operate Public Service Vehicles (PSVs) within the county to avoid the Lamu- Garsen road especially at night.

In the recent past, PSVs have been attacked by the militants who in some cases target Christians plying the route