Kenya extends Mandera curfew to June 2017

Kenya has extended by a three months a dusk to dawn curfew on the northern region of Mandera, the country’s interior minister has said in a gazette notice.

The decision contained in a gazette notice by Interior Cabinet Secretary Joseph Nkaisserry now extends the curfew to June 28, 2017.

Residents of the affected areas including Mandera Town, Omar Jillo, Arabia, Fino, Lafey Kotulo, Elwak, Rhamu, Warankara and their environs extending to 20km from the Kenya-Somalia border will now have to be indoors from 6pm to 6am unless authorized by their respective Deputy County Commissioners.

“Every person who resides within the Sub-County shall except under, and in accordance with the terms and conditions of a written permit granted by the respective Deputy County Commissioner for the affected areas, remain indoors in the premises at which they reside or at such other premises as may be authorized,” said the order issued by the Interior CS Joseph Nkaissery.

“This Order… shall come into effect from 6.30pm to 630am,” reads the notice.

Mandera County Commissioner Fredrick Shisia called on the residents to continue observing the new directives.

Nkaiserry first imposed a curfew on the border county in North Eastern Kenya in October 2016 after Al-Shabaab gunmen killed 12 people at the Bishaaro Hotel in Mandera Town.

Ten of the 12 people who were killed were visiting the region for set-book performances at schools in the region to prepare candidates for the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education.