Monday February 6, 2017
An IEBC official inspects a BVR kit on January 16, 2017 in Ndaragwa. Al-Shabaab has said it did not steal a BVR kit in a raid in Mandera. PHOTO | STEVE NJUGUNA
Somali terror group Al-Shabaab has denied claims that it stole a biometric voter registration (BVR) kit during Thursday’s attack on a police camp in Mandera County.
In a statement through its radio and on its website Sunday, the terrorists termed Kenya’s claims as propaganda.
“The Mujahideen termed as false the claims of the Kenyan Government that some of the things we have seized include some of the election equipment known as BVR.
"Mujahideen say those equipment were not part of the spoils seized,” says part of the statement.
This is contrary to Lafey deputy county commissioner Eric Oronyi’s statement that among the things taken from the camp in Arabia was election equipment.
“The attackers made away with a police vehicle, a motorcycle, three rifles, bullets and four voter registration kits belonging to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission,” Mr Oronyi had said.
But in the statement, Al-Shabaab, who refer to themselves as Mujahideen, asked the government to come clean on the whereabouts of the kit instead of putting blame on the group.
“Kenyan Government should stop lying about the kit. It is true that the Mujahideen attacked a police camp and seized police vehicle, several rifles, and ammunition. But they did not take away any election equipment,” says the statement.
Al-Shabaab also confirmed that during the 1.30am raid, police officers fled and left behind their belongings.
Mr Oronyi and Interior Cabinet Secretary Joseph Nkaissery had confirmed Al-Shabaab’s statement that all 21 police officers who were present during the attack fled and were not injured.
“The police officers took cover and the attackers made away with their personal belongings,” said Mr Oronyi