Relatives mourn 28 victims in Kenyan bus attack

World Today

The Somali militant group al-Shabaab dismissed claims that Kenyan forces killed more than 100 of its fighters. Kenya’s deputy president, William Ruto, said over the weekend that the military strike was in response to an attack on a bus last Saturday in Mandera, a northeastern Kenyan city that borders Somalia, where 28 people were killed. CCTV America’s Robert Nagila reported this story from Nairobi, Kenya.

Hillary Jomba’s family is in mourning. The 25-year-old was among several teachers who were pulled from the bus and shot in the head over the weekend.

“He was my second last, it’s painful and I am a widow. I am at a loss. He was a good boy, humble and happy all the time, very well organized. I loved him and now I have lost him, it is painful,” said Margaret Jomba, mother of Mandera victim.

“I called him on Wednesday but he said he had not traveled but would leave on Friday. I reminded him to carry all his belongs because the situation in Mandera was bad,” said Dennis Jomba, Hillary’s brother.

Hillary Jomba had moved to Mandera last year to look for work, but a bomb blast by his house last month had scared him and he told his family that when the term was over, he would return home. On Saturday, when his family did not hear from him, they began to worry. And then the call came.

“They told me the bus he had travelled in was attacked by bandits. We began searching for a communication line, then we heard he is dead, he was among those who had been shot,” his mother said. “I have left it to God, I left to God because, it wasn’t just Hillary, there were many, they said 20 something killed.”