Kenya: Gunmen Kill WFP Worker

The World Food Programme has (WFP) has said that unidentified gunmen shot dead the head of WFP’s office in the northwestern Kenyan town of Lokichoggio

Unknown gunmen have shot and killed the head of the World Food Programme’s (WFP) office in Lokichoggio which is located in northwestern Kenya. This is the first time that a WFP aid worker has been killed in this food distribution hub. Silence Chirara was the coordinator of WFP’s logistics operation for southern Sudan, and was ambushed late on Wednesday by unidentified gunmen who fired AK-47 assault rifles 100 metres from the main gate of the UN camp. Chirara drove on and his clearly marked UN vehicle hit a shipping container near the gate. He was later pronounced dead at a clinic. His vehicle was hit by seven AK-47 bullets on the car’s left-hand side. The gunmen escaped. “We are all shocked at this savage killing of Silence Chirara and condemn it in the strongest terms. UN Security and the Kenyan police are investigating this terrible crime,” said Kenro Oshidari, WFP Representative in Sudan, who flew to Lokichoggio on Thursday. "In all the places that Silence served, he was an incredible source of comfort and help to his colleagues. He was a valued Logistics Officer known to never step away from a challenge. This is a moment of great sorrow, for Silence's family, especially his wife and two children, friends and those at WFP who worked side-by-side with him over the years,” said WFP Executive Director Josette Sheeran