The Friday Bulletin
Mandera Buses resume operations after suspension
A bus from Makah express company that plys Mandera-Nairobi route. ( Photo courtesy)
Friday Bulletin.
Buses in Mandera county have resumed operations after a brief suspension by the government due to insecurity concerns.
Transport services along the Mandera-Nairobi route were paralyzed following an Al Shabaab attack on two police escort vehicles in Dabacity, Mandera county, last week.
According to Mandera county commissioner Fredrick Shisia the temporary measure was aimed at restructuring of security escort for the buses following the attack in which the two vehicles carrying 12 police officers escorting a bus to Mandera were hit by rocket propelled grenades.
On Saturday buses travelling to and from Mandera were back on the road despite the county commissioner warning that the government cannot guarantee the safety of the passengers along the Elwak road.
Shisia said police cannot provide security to passengers without police escort.
“We have advised most road users to use the Mandera-Takaba-Moyale route because we cannot guarantee use of the Elwak route since we have not replaced two police vehicles burnt last week,” said Shisia.
He further advised non-locals against using the buses until the security situation improves and urged them to opt for air travel instead.
“The target of Al-Shabaab is non-locals and security officers in Mandera and we cannot risk putting police on the road without the customised vehicles,” he added.
Normally, buses leaving Mandera town at about 8 am are escorted by police to Gari, Elwak where in return their Elwak counterparts takeover as Mandera police return with buses from Elwak. From Gari, the Elwak police officers escort the buses from Mandera town through Wargadud, Elwak, Dabacity to Katulo.
Mandera residents who lamented that the suspension of the bus services had greatly inconvenienced them have since welcomed the resumption of transport services but urged the government to find a permanent solution to the insecurity problems facing the region.
