By Murimi Mutiga and Sophie Njoka
Thursday, January 2, 2020, was just another day at work for Raymond Juma, the driver of one of the two buses christened Mombasa Raha, that ply the Mombasa-Lamu Road.
It did not occur to him that something evil lay ahead that would shatter the peace of the mid-morning as he drove through the thick forest.
But suddenly, like a bolt from nowhere, the bus came under a hail of bullets at Nyongoro area in Lamu—and though unable to comprehend what was going on, his instinct was to do what it takes to save the more than 30 passengers in the bus.
He only had one option: Keep driving even after the tyres were deflated by bullets to save as many lives as possible. Under the hail of bullets, Juma managed to save the lives of about 30 passengers from the estimated 20 Al-Shabaab militants who had waylaid the bus with the mission of killing as many innocent passengers as they could.
“It was like a scene from horror movie. They emerged from the forest and started firing indiscriminately, ordering us to stop. I engaged a higher gear and drove fast as they fired at us. Unfortunately, they deflated the tyres but I still managed to drive for about 100 metres,” he said.
And by the time the gunfire went silent, passengers were screaming and traumatised. While most of them were grateful to have escaped the terror scene, three of them unfortunately died.
Ironically, officers who had been mandated to ensure safety of the passengers are said to have fled amid the gunfire.
Juma said they left Mombasa for Lamu at 6.30am under police escort because of the insecurity in the terror-prone forest through which the road cuts.
He said when they were attacked, the officers made a U-turn, leaving them at the mercy of the militants. His bus was among a convoy of three buses that came under attack.
Juma says the militants’ attention on Mombasa Raha was disrupted when they spotted another bus christened Simba Coach approaching.
“They ran towards the bus as the driver was attempting to engage a reverse gear. I could see all what was happening as I tried to save my life and those of my passengers. Few minutes later, we heard gunshots from the scene,” he said.
Police said three people were shot dead and two injured. Lamu County Commissioner Irungu Macharia said a multi-agency security team is pursuing the militiamen who fled into Boni Forest after the attack. “The deaths could rise considering the nature of injuries,” he added.
Lamu County Police commander Perminius Kioi confirmed the buses were under police escort but could not explain why the officers abandoned the passengers at the hour of need. “I can confirm three people have died after suspected militants fired at the bus they were in. Three other people are seriously injured. We will provide more information once investigations are over. Those injured were rushed to Garsen and Witu dispensaries while the buses were taken to Witu police station,” said Kioi.
