Was Garissa University Attack Alert Mistaken for April Fools Prank?

This is according to the principal of the institution Professor Osman Warfa who has for the first time spoken about the attack to the media.

Warfa says he had for months sought for enhanced security at the school but too little was done.

Chairman of the college’s council Dr Hukka Wario, however, says the terror alert might have been taken for an April Fool’s Day prank.

And students who survived the attack are expected to report to Moi University’s Main Campus on May 20th.

When the deadly dawn attack took the lives of students, some of whom were in morning prayers and others in their sleep, there was uproar and questions over the security response by the police as well as preparedness of the Garissa University College.

Overstretched provincial administration

Professor Ahmed Osman Warfa has for the first time admitted that indeed, there were terror alerts at the school that forced them to take security precautions, but as the attack would turn out, they were not enough.

“Credible security attacks were taken as April Fool’s Day prank,” said Dr. Wario.

Prof Warfa, who has been at the university college since October last year, says he has been appealing to security agencies and the government for reinforcement, but it would seem the government was overstretched.

“Provincial administration said they were overstretched as per the letters written to OCPD and County Commissioner,” said Prof Warfa.

On the night of attack, 16 security officers were on duty, among them 4 police officers, 7 officers from a security firm and another five employed by the university.

But Prof Warfa fails to understand how the armed terrorists made it through the university gate, despite the police officers armed with their guns being on duty.

Among the 16 officers on duty two lost their lives while two others sustained injuries.

Accounts to raise support funds

And as 650 students continue to heal from the trauma at the hands of the terrorist, their academic life could resume on May 20th when they are expected to report to Moi University’s Main Campus in Eldoret.

The university college has now opened two accounts to raise funds from well-wishers that will go into rehabilitating the university, pay for pending bills of which 2.9 million shillings is owed to Chiromo Mortuary.

It has emerged that the college paid the Ksh 100,000 burial fees to the 142 families of deceased students, totaling to 14.2 million shillings.

Well wishers can make their donations to Kenya Commercial Bank, Kipande House Branch, Account Number 1169499422. The same could be made to Barclays Bank, Garissa Branch, Account Number 2033067383.

For now Garissa University College remains closed, with the officials hoping that one day, it will be reopened and bring to fruition the dream that was, for the first ever institution of its kind in the north eastern region.

By Sam Gituku and Koome Kimonye