It has been six years since two-time Kamukunji Member of Parliament Yussuf Hassan was victim to a terrorist attack when holding a meeting in his constituency, a bomb that left eight lives lost and a milliard of people seriously injured.
The soft spoken legislator remains strong and marked the day through a touching message through his social media page in which he asked all to unite against terrorism since it doesn’t choose religion or race.
It’s the 6th ann. of the bomb blast that seriously injured me & snuffed out the lives of 8 innocent ppl. Grateful for the support of my family, the ppl of Kamukunji & 🇰🇪 and all peace loving ppl. V.Extremism is a threat to all of us, to our peace & cohesion & we must reject it. pic.twitter.com/KclHzkuSxg
— Yusuf Hassan MP (@MPyusufhassan) December 7, 2018
In the December 2012 incident, unidentified assailants hurled a hand grenade at Hassan as he emerged from a mosque in Kamukunji constituency for which he is seeking re-election on March 4. Eight people died in the attack and several others were injured, including Hassan who sustained fractures in his legs.
“I heard a crack; something like someone throwing a stone on one of the roofs, and then there was a bit of smoke and a flash; and a sound like gunfire. Immediately, in front of me I could see its impact. There was a delay before I was hit and the people who were standing in front of me bore the brunt of it,” he was quoted as saying at the time.
Yusuf Hassan has been quoted on various forums explaining that he was at first reluctant to enter mainstream politics after a long career in journalism and in the UN system but finally did so with the sole aim of helping Kenya achieve true liberation.
He has been credited with among other things improvements to the the sanitation and health of Kamukunji’s residents. Whereas previously sewage systems in the area’s slums were non-existent or blocked, significant rejuvenation of the sewage networks have reduced urban environmental diseases that are unique to third-world cities like Nairobi.
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