A file photo of officers on patrol in Pandanguo, Lamu County. [Photo/ businessdailyafrica.com]
Two IDP camps in Lamu County have been hit by malaria outbreak.According to Lamu director of health David Mulewa, cases of residents suffering from malaria have been reported in Pandanguo and Witu areas.Mulewa, however, said the most affected areas are security zones making it hard for health officials to access the victims and attend to them since they need clearance from both the Kenya Defence Forces and the police before they can embark on the treatment and preventive exercise."The situation is bad at the moment but sadly we cannot do much since we need the green light from the security agencies to enable us access the patients. If we can get the nod then possibly we can arrest the situation before it spirals out of control,” said Mulewa.The over 2,150 IDPs in the area were mostly driven out of their homes as a result of sporadic attacks from suspected al-Shabaab militants who police believe could be hiding in the expansive Boni forest.However, extensive security operations are carried out by the Kenya Defence Forces with an aim of neutralising the militants believed to be originating from the neighbouring Somalia.