Feature: Joy as terror-hit Kenyan university reopens after massacre
0 Comment(s)
Print
E-mail Xinhua, January 6, 2016
Lecturers at Kenya's Garissa University, where Islamist militants killed 148 people in an April attack, have expressed delight about its reopening.
Those who attended the reopening of the Garissa University, a constituent college of Eldoret based Moi University, on Monday were overwhelmed with emotions as survivors including the college principal remembered the fateful night that saw the Al-Shabaab gunmen stormed and then killed students after 10 hours hostage ordeal.
The lecturer who taught English at the institution, Ali Bashir, joined the Garissa University fraternity on Monday as it reopened exactly nine months after April 2, 2015 terror attack.
Bashir thanked the Kenyan government and the university Senate for working closely to ensure that the institution was reopened.
"I was devastated to learn that one of the perpetrators of the terror attack was my English student. This has since affected me and that is why I am here to rent my support," he told Xinhua in Garissa.
During the attack, Abdirahim Abdulahi, a law graduate from Nairobi University and a resident of Mandera County who was the mastermind of the Garissa University was killed alongside four other militants.
The University don who lectures in Saudi Arabia said he deliberately came back on Monday to join Kenyans of good will who have worked tirelessly to ensure that the university college was back on its feet.
"I am so happy to other Kenyans from the rest of the country for their support. This is the only way to ensure that terrorists don't kill our spirit to remain united as one people," he said.
The Islamist group has carried out series of deadly attacks in northeast Kenya and other towns, including the capital city of Nairobi since the East African country sent its military into Somalia in 2011 to fight the Al-Qaida inspired group.
Kenyan authorities have also blamed the militants for being behind spates of kidnapping of expatriates working in the sprawling refugee camps in the incursion-prone northern region and tourists in the coastal archipelago towns of Mombasa and Lamu.
The attacks in 2015 have led to government employees including Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) officers, school teachers, nurses and doctors leading the way in relocating from Garissa.
Refusal by teachers to report for their duty stations early last year further compounded the woes facing the region's public service workforce.
Garissa youth Chairman Hussein Salat urged Kenyans who left Garissa after the terror attack to come back, noting that security was back to its past glory.
Salat said no attack has happened since the April 2 2015 University terror attack, a testimony that measure put by the government is bearing fruit.
He said the economy of Garissa town was almost brought to its knees as it bore the brunt of Al-Shabaab terror attacks.
"Those who used to carry out their businesses should come back and help in the recovery efforts," he said.
The college has since been repainted with new colors and the bullets that were visible on the walls sealed.
Most of 2014, Garissa town witnessed a relative peace and many thought the town was regaining its lost glory of being the safest town in East and central Africa according to Interpol.
"Following the lull we were made to believe that that town was once again secure for us to stay. I even came back to re-open my shop that I had closed. Unfortunately what took place at the Garissa University completely chattered my dreams and left me more confused," said Ann Njoki, a resident.
Njoki believes that the attacks that have been targeting non locals are aimed at frustrating them to leave the town.
Spot-check at the university found that security was extremely tight in and around the university with armed security officers and private security thoroughly frisking all those who went inside the campus during the ceremony.
Uniformed police officials were also visibly stationed on different corners of the university while others kept vigil at their newly built police post which is inside the institution.
Northeastern Regional Coordinator Mohamud Saleh said a lot has been done, including putting up a police station inside the institution, which he said will have more security officials than before the terrorist attack.
"We have establish a security post inside the institution, there is also 24-hour patrol around Garissa town which has led to successful arrest of key suspects which has reduced attacks," Saleh said.
While recalling the April terrorist attack, Garissa University Principal Professor Ahmed Osman Warfa said he when he moved around the college he felt emotional since it reminds him of what has transpired on that fateful night.
"I wish I was armed and trained on how to use of firearm on that night, I would have fought with the attackers and at least ensure I have saved some of my students from their killers," Warfa said.
"It pains me up to this date, sometimes I asked myself what I would have done differently to prevent such an attack, had I been trained to use a gun and would have confronted the assailants head on," he told Xinhua. Enditem
Go to Forum >>0 Comment(s)