Elders decry disappearance of 50 MRC members

Kaya elders in Mombasa have expressed concerns over alleged disappearance of 50 suspected members of the outlawed Mombasa Republican Council (MRC) in the region.

Speaking to journalists Saturday evening at the South Coast, the group’s chairman, Charo Mendza Tuva, claimed that several youths have gone missing and yet the government has remained mum over the matter.

Accompanied by a section of local politicians from Mombasa County, Tuva called on the government to offer an explanation on the matter.

It is saddening that people are being killed under unclear circumstances. We buried one youth in Mkondo wa Simiti after he was shot dead,” said Tuva.

“We call on the government to deal with this issue and ensure peace prevails in the region.”

On his part, Nyali MP Hezron Awiti insisted that the government address land issues facing the coast region, adding that unrest in the region scares away investors.

“National Lands Commission chair should not renew leases but convert the leased land to public land as a way of dealing with issues of landlessness at the coast,” said Awiti.

The leaders further included the recent conflict between the Mijikenda community and their counterpart the Wardei community in Kilifi County as part of the issues that need to be addressed quickly to prevent them from escalating into violence.