Mandera Governor Ali Roba addressing the press in the past. [Photo/kbctv.co.ke]
Yesterday, five administration police officers attached to Mandera Governor Ali Roba died following and IED explosion.
The slain officers were part of the governor’s convoy, which was headed to Lafey from Arabia for a campaign rally.
The governor was lucky as the vehicle he was in had not reached the explosion scene.
The Council of Governors, in a press statement, claims it was an assassination attempt on the Governor.
CoG chairman and Turkana Governor Josphat Nanok claimed that was the seventh attempt on Roba’s life, in a span of three years.
“The Council of Governors is concerned by attempted assassination of Mandera Governor, H.E Ali Roba, resulting in the murder of his five bodyguards today. This is the seventh attempt on H.E Roba’s life in a span on three years,” Nanok said on Wednesday.
The new CoG boss accused the national government of neglecting the matter, despite being in a position to foil such attacks.
Governor Roba was in the convoy that was hit by an explosive device. [Photo/the-star.co.ke]
“…the Department of Interior and National Coordination has in the past handled this matter in a negligent manner despite having all the instruments of security including the intelligence.”
He continued, “The Council calls on the Department of Interior and National Coordination to take the attempted assassination of H.E Captain Ali Roba and the ceaseless murders of residents of Mandera seriously and stop offering lame justifications for insecurity of in the County.”
In March 2015, gunmen attacked a convoy carrying Governor Roba, leaving him unharmed but wounding several people close to the spot where Al Shabaab launched a string of deadly attacks last year.