[Dr Fred Matiang'i addressing a conference in a past meeting. He has come under attack for gazetting Tana River County under dask to dawn curfew[Photo/standardmedia.co.ke]
Newly appointed acting Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang'i has come under fierce attack from Muslim clerics from Tana River County after he included the county in dusk to dawn curfew. The clerics urged the CS to lift the curfew immediately as the county has not witnessed any insecurity in form attacks by Al Shabaab compared to its neighbors Garissa and Lamu.In a gazette notice published on 8th of July, Dr Matiang'i imposted a three month dusk to dawn curfew in Garissa, Lamu and Tana River Counties due to heightened insecurity. There have been several attacks mostly suspected to be by al shabaab militants in the past two months that have resulted to the loss of many lives. Tana River Council of Imams and Preachers in Kenya through its chairman Sheikh Musa urged the CS to lift the curfew. This was done through a press brief to journalists at Caritas Hotel in Garsen town on Monday.“We cannot accept to carry the burden of our neighbouring counties and we urge the government to lift the curfew immediately,” he added.Present with Sheikh Musa were Sheikh Salim Omar Dima, a Muslim scholar who hails from the Tana Delta and Sheikh Idris Bakero. Sheikh Bakero urged the the president to intervene and help withdraw the curfew. “We urge President (Uhuru) Kenyatta, as Muslims and religious leaders , to lift the curfew imposed by Dr Matiang’i , the county is peaceful,’’ said Sheikh Bakero .