The police lorry that was destroyed by the explosive. [Photo/ the-star.co.ke]
There was a somber mood in Mararani village in Lamu County when four school children killed by an explosive were buried on Wednesday.
The four died on their way to school when an explosive detonated at the roadside and killed them on the spot together with four police officers.Residents uncontrollably wailed as coffins bearing the remains of the four were lowered into the grave even as law enforcement agencies probed the incident to unravel the identity of the individual(s) who planted the explosive along the road.Lamu is a terrorism hotspot and intelligence operatives keep a close eye monitoring any suspicious activities in the county headed by Governor Issa Timamy.The Governor was arrested and charged in 2013 following violent clashes that rocked the Coastal devolved unit.At the height of reports that Somalia-based Al Shabaab group was recruiting youth to join the terrorist fighters’ training bases at the horn of Africa nation, there were claims some youth in Lamu had disappeared raising suspicion they had crossed into Somalia for training.Residents during the four school children’s burial called on government to conduct thorough investigation over the incident. Among those who attended the burial were high ranking Lamu County government officials.Kenya Defence Force soldiers are currently camped at Boni Forest where some Coast residents said to have joined Al Shabaab once conducted training from.The burial took place the same the day authorities in Mombasa County warned militant group members in Coast region to surrender and seek amnesty from government.Mombasa Deputy County Commissioner Salim Mahmud said criminals who will voluntarily surrender will unconditionally be pardoned. He said law enforcement agencies in Mombasa, Kwale, Lamu, Kilifi, Tana River and Taita Taveta were jointly working to ensure criminal gangs in the region are eradicated.