Top Muslim cleric has termed the move by police to display naked bodies of the killed Ashabaab attackers in Garissa campus siege a ‘stupid PR’ exercise that will most likely encourage radicalization of local youths. Islam religion respects the dead and always call for a quick disposal the soonest time possible of dead bodies. parading dead naked bodies for selfies is just pure madness, noted an imam who requested a anonymity.
Here is how the story was reported>>
There was drama in Garissa Town on Saturday evening after police displayed to the public four bodies suspected to be those of terrorists who massacred Garissa University students early Thursday morning.
Hundreds of wananchi came out in large numbers at Garissa Primary School playground after word went round that the bodies were being displayed for public viewing.
Businesses in the town centre that was slowly resuming to normal after the shocking university raid, came to a standstill as people came to view the bodies while others feared criminals would loot their goods.
The decomposing and naked bodies of the suspected terrorists were driven on a pick up vehicle from Garissa Referral Hospital to the Garissa Primary School playground.
However, the bodies were rushed back to the hospital morgue dangling from the speeding vehicle after the huge crowds of people turned up at the playing field almost causing a stampede.
Some of members of the public at the same time gave a chase to the speeding vehicle while taking photos using their cell phones.
Residents however faulted the police over the display arguing that this may make the terrorist group to attack with a lot of anger on their victims.
At least 147 students were killed in the Thursday morning attack, the worst of its kind in Kenya’s history.
Garissa OCPD Benjamin Ong’mbe said the aim of bringing the bodies to the public was for identification purposes but this was not possible after residents turned up in larger numbers than was anticipated.
“We just thought we needed the public to see the bodies so that they could help in identifying them, but that turned out to be impossible after a huge number of people turned up for the viewing,” he said.
Police had a hard time trying to control the public after they chased the speeding vehicle to the Garissa Referral Hospital while at the same time jamming the busy Kismayu road.
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