The struggle against terrorism has been ongoing for years, with Kenyan troops stationed in Somalia to combat the local terrorist group Al Shabab, which has been terrorizing people of the East African region with regular attacks.
The terrorist organization has been recruiting needy men and women by promising them a large sum of money if they join the group. After joining the gang, several families in the coastal region have lost loved ones.
However Few have managed to retrace their roots by quitting the terror group and come back to Kenya. However, some of these returnees are said to be regretting their decision to come back to Kenya.
According to a report by the Star newspaper, many returnees face intimidation, threats, and stigma from members of the public. In one such case Kayama Kazungi, 25 from Kijiwetanga in Malindi started having links with the Somali terror group in 2015 when she got married to one of the Al-Shabaab soldiers.
However, after a while, she decided to go back to her country where she was canceled and promised witness protection before she was allowed back home.
She committed suicide several years after her return thanks to the challenges she was going through. According to her mother, her daughter never knew peace after returning.
She was being threatened everywhere by both police and members of the public.
Her house was broken into several times with people calling her ‘Msaliti, Gaidi’. According to her mother, she wishes her daughter did not return at all. ‘I wish she didn’t return and stay there. It’s so painful’ she said.
*This article was written by Caleb Mwikya for Uzalendo News. Email: uzalendonews@gmail.com for News tips and Inquiries.
