Mandera massacre survivor gives up job, vows never to return

Atib Osinga, 28, (second left) a survivor of the Mandera bus massacre, after he was reunited with family members at their Shianda home in Mumias, Kakamega County on Thursday. [PHOTO: CHRISPEN SECHERE/ STANDARD]

Search for greener pastures took him to Mandera County shortly after completing college studies, but he has vowed never to set foot in the insecurity prone region.

Atib Osinga escaped last Saturday’s attack on a Nairobi bound bus when Al-Shabaab militia hijacked it and killed 28 passengers.

Mr Osinga completed his studies at Mosoriot Teachers’ Training College in 2011, and stayed at home for one year without a job.

The father of two was advised by his relatives and friends who live in Mandera that it is easy to secure employment in North Eastern with a better a pay.

“After completing my college studies at Mosoriot Teachers’ Training College, I stayed at home for one year without employment. My friends living in Mandera advised me to join them as it is easy to get employed there and get a good salary” he said.

Osinga was employed at Mandera Academy as a teacher in 2012, before he moved to Ibunhajar Academy this year and had just taught in the school for one term. He he has, however, vowed never to return to the region.

When The Standard on Saturday team visited him in Shianda, Kakamega County, Osinga recounted how local arrangements at the school to extend learning till November 21, almost ended his life in the Mandera dawn massacre.

“We made local arrangements to extend the school calendar to November 21. This was a scheme to get our monthly salary because if we could have closed on November 14, we could have not have been paid,” he said.

On the fateful day, Osinga and other passengers boarded Macca bus from Mandera to Nairobi. After travelling for one hour, they were ambushed by Al-Shababa militants who shot at the bus.

The driver did not stop until he met the third group armed with sophisticated weapons who authorised him to take a different route towards Somalia.

“The bus was the first one to leave the bus station, after travelling for almost one hour, we heard gunshots. The driver did not stop until we reached the third gang, which had crude weapons. They stopped and ordered the driver to take another route towards Somalia” recalls Osinga.

The bus got stuck in mud and this is when Al-Shabaab opted to carry out their mission of killing those perceived to be Kenyans. First to get out of the bus were women and those who had wore Muslim attire were separated from those wearing common outfits.

Men were also separated on the same basis before non Muslims were ordered to lie down.

“We were ordered to alight from the vehicle, female passengers were the first ones to alight and separated on the basis of their attire then men. Those who were of Kenyan origin were told to lie down. At this point, I found a place next to a bush, I crawled into the bush unnoticed,” he narrated.

After escaping death narrowly and seeing what other passengers went through, Osinga has now declared never to return to Mandera.

He said that he can work in any other part of the country except Mandera, where he has been for the last two years.

“After the deadly experience I witnessed on Saturday, seeing my friends and colleagues being murdered, I cannot return to Mandera. I can work anywhere in the country, but not Mandera” said Osinga amid sobs.

His wife Judith, too, vowed not to allow him to return there.

“I cannot allow him to travel back to Mandera, I will allow him to work in any part of the country but not Mandera. I wonder how I could have managed to remain a widow and raise two children alone” she said.