http://www.the-star.co.ke/news/2016/02/13/chronicles-of-the-wagalla-massacre_c1291874
This week marks 32 years since the massacre at the Wagalla Airstrip in what is presently Wajir County. The bloodbath took place over a period of four days beginning on the morning of February 10 and ending on the morning of February 14, 1984 with a stampede and a shootout. All men and boys over the age of 12 years belonging to the Degodia sub-clan of North Eastern Kenya, were rounded up and detained at a newly constructed airstrip in Wagalla, nine miles from Wajir town.
According to Analenna Toneli, 1000 people were killed, but to various community groups, the number was closer to 5000. The Wagalla massacre destroyed a community, changed its social cohesion and placed the burden of regenerating the dead society on the shoulders of widows. This is the worst massacre recorded in Kenyan history. There were other massacres in Garissa, Turbi and Malka Marri but Wagalla remains one of the classic examples of a state run amok and genocidal intentions of a government too inept to exert any meaningful control over the security of its citizens.
Facts and figures of the Wagalla massacre are now etched into the fabric of the history of Kenya. What is probably unknown is that this massacre was a premeditated act of genocide, not a military operation gone wrong. It began at policy level.
It all started with a high level cabinet committee meeting at Harambee House, where the political idea justifying a massacre was mooted. There are no details that emerged from this meeting, no minutes or reports. Even the efforts of the TJRC did not unearth what policy prescriptions were discussed that initiated a process that culminated in the death of so many people. Sources confirm that a meeting took place at Harambee House, in which security issues concerning Wajir were discussed, and that orders were given to the Provincial Security Committee in Garissa to initiate a security operation against a small Somali sub-clan living in Wajir District.
Timing, strategy and resources
The meeting gave authorisation, but the timing, strategy and resources were left to the Provincial Security Committee led by Benson Kaaria who was the PC of North Eastern Province at the time. This committee authorised the District Security Committee to prepare the ground for the military operation. The District Commissioner at the time, J.P. Matui, was on leave. In the available documents and in his own testimony at the TJRC, the acting DC Mr. M.M Tiema, appears to have been used to achieve a predetermined objective.
The final order for the operation was given on February 8, 1984. This was at a meeting held in Wajir by the Kenya Intelligence Committee. The District Security Committee and the Provincial Security Committee were in attendance. This meeting was the crucial source of authority to undertake the major security operation that followed.
The military began on February 10 with, according to Etemesi Report, a signal from the P.P.O of Garissa that read:
“All Degodias plus stock in Griftu Division plus adjacent divisions will be rounded-up and will be treated mercilessly. No mercy will be exercised. You will get more instructions from this HQ in another two days’ time. No nonsense will be accepted. Further instructions will follow on the relief of the stock. Report progress daily”
On that day the military moved into all areas occupied by the Degodia sub-clan and implemented their orders. The Commander of the operation was Major Mudogo. According to the Etemesi Report, the operation had no written “Operational Procedures”. In layman language, the military operation had no rules or limits and the security forces were given a blank order to run riot. And run riot they did. They started detaining people at four o’clock in the morning from all areas in North Eastern and Eastern Kenya. The military was assisted to identify their targets by KANU youth wingers, some from the targeted community.
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