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Assassination of ex-spy escalates tension in Marsabit
A muslim cleric leads mourners in saying the last prayers for the body of the slain sleuth who was shot dead by two assialants at his home on Monday evening. His burial took place at Jirime Muslims Graveyard on November 9, 2021, amid calls for justice.
The assassination of a retired intelligence officer in Marsabit town has escalated tension between the Gabbra and Borana communities.
The former spy, Sharamo Fora, 70, was shot dead on Monday evening by two men riding a motorcycle at Kiwanja Ndege.
His death came a week after six people were murdered in cold blood while travelling in a lorry from Marsabit town to Badasa village. Among those killed were women and children.
Mr Fora was buried on Tuesday at the Jirime Muslims graveyard in Saku sub-county amid calls for justice.
No suspect has been arrested.
Marsabit Deputy County Commissioner David Saruni said that detectives were investigating the matter.
During his burial, some local leaders from the Gabbra community took the opportunity to vehemently reject the accusation that members of their community took part in the killings of six people last week in Badasa.
Some local leaders said the Gabbra community was responsible for the Badasa attack, whose motive was yet to be established.
Gabbra Community Council of Elders chairperson Kanchora Chepe denied the accusations, saying that killing women and children is against their beliefs.
Removing other communities
"We categorically deny that our people got involved in the recent killings reported a week ago on the Badasa road. It's uncharacteristic of the Gabbra community to kill women and children in the history of the conflicts in this region and we don't want to be embroiled in it," Mr Chepe said.
He challenged Marsabit Governor Mohamud Ali Saku, MP Rasso Dido and nominated Senator Naomi Waqo to express their complaints through the right channels if they knew the suspects responsible for the attack instead of maligning the whole community.
He said his community was being painted negatively as a way of consolidating votes from other communities ahead of the 2022 elections.
He added that the recent killings in Marsabit were aimed at removing other communities from Saku constituency.
The sentiments were echoed by former Turbi MCA Pius Yatani, who maintained that the Gabbra community was not involved in the killings of the Badasa six.
Mr Yatani observed that the heightened ethnic killings were being used by politicians desperate to remain relevant.
He also cited territorial disputes and bad politics as key drivers of Marsabit ethnic killings.
For his part, Saku MP aspirant Barille Abduba held that Marsabit politics had been highly militarized, with leaders using militia and deceiving voters that they were protecting their interests.
"It is no longer banditry in Marsabit but a well-coordinated and militarised politics where the militia is funded and sustained for the protecting political interests," Mr Abduba said.
