Nairobi — The unsettling story of the Wagalla Massacre is one of the lowest points in Kenya's history. The 1984 mass killing reads like a chapter from the 2008 post-election violence.
Like the poll-related chaos, it captures the callousness and cruelty of a people against their compatriots. It all started on February 10, 1984, when members of Degodia, a Somali clan, were gathered by security forces and taken to an airstrip in Wajir.
The operation, which involved regular and administration police as well as the army aimed to disarm the Degodia and force them to identify the bandits committing crimes in the district. The operation covered all areas of the district, including Tarbaj, Leheley, Wajir-Bor and Khorof Harar.
First, the army surrounded Bulla Jogoo and ordered the residents to leave their homes. During the swoop, women were raped, houses burnt and property looted. According to Mr Justus ole Tipis, then a minister in the Office of the President, the residents refused to obey the orders.
The military then forcibly removed men from their houses and took them to the airstrip, 9 miles (14km) West of Wajir Town. Government accounts say those held were interrogated for three days, and a scuffle erupted when the district commissioner, accompanied by the local police division commandant, entered the airstrip.
Some of the crowd fled, while others shouted at government officers. In this confusion and stampede, 29 people died of gunshots or were trampled upon, while 28 others were killed when the army met with resistance. But unofficial sources said the men were stripped naked and their movements restricted to a few narrow steps either forwards or backwards.
After many hours without food or water, the sun still beating down mercilessly, they were told to lie down on their chests on the hot tarmac. Those who disobeyed were shot, while others died of heat exhaustion, others reportedly survived on urine as drinking water.
Yet other residents are said to have been showered with petrol and set ablaze as relatives watched helplessly. Mr Ahmed Khalif, the then area MP, told Parliament the following week that more than 1,000 people starved to death.
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i cannot imagine this happened in our land. How do men take women? Do they have mothers, sisters, wives or daughters? Am a woman and i can only say 'God! Come through for women!' and also the men who were shot, those who lay on the tarmac and their loved ones tormented, sorry would'nt be fair. Whoever was behind it should pay for all the pain caused!
For God's marcy how could anyone think of such an inhuman act, those were Gods people, was that for fame, wealth or power? those where kenya citizens, our brothers and sisters even if there was wrong doing in one way or the other that was not the right way anyone cold have handled the matter. What about their rights as kenyans. That was worse than anything anyone would imagine. We call apon our TJRC to provide kenyans with answers on the issue. any person involved should be brought to Justice, also there shold be some way of compensation for the hurting families. Almight God favour the hurting families for all this years of toment and fear.
Justice to be stormed upon all individuals behind such inhumane actions.God forbid!
we are still waiting for justice and we are never happy with what moi did,a nation massacring its own people.