Residents of Jima village flee their homes following al-Shabaab attacks in the area. [Photo/ nation.co.ke]
A section of residents in Lamu County have been forced to relocate to safer areas following threats from suspected al-Shabaab militia. Several families have left their homes following security concerns amidst operations by the Kenya defence Force (KDF) in the area.The relocation of the families comes after State ordered the bombing of Boni Forest to flush out members of the terror group. Silini and Bobo villages in Hindi division are among the most affected areas following the killing of four residents by the suspected terrorists. A spot check by a the Star indicated that several homes in the county have deserted despite the government assuring residents of security. Some of the residents prefer sleeping in bushes and schools at night and going back to their homes during the day."People have fled from here and gone to other counties. Others are still around but sleep in the forest and come back in the morning," said Cyprian Mwengi, a resident as quoted by the Star.The residents have called upon police officers to intensify patrols in the area.The residents held demonstrations on Wednesday and Thursday to protest against increased terror attacks and asked Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang'i to tour the area and access the situation on the ground.