Kenyan MP roots for closure of refugee camps over terror

KENYA: An MP now wants the House Committee on Administration and National Security to give the country a status report on refugees in the country. Mr David Wafula (Saboti) also asked the committee to tell Kenyans when the refugee camps in the country will be closed down.

Wafula said revelations in intelligence reports that some camps were being used as training grounds for terrorists should make Kenya probe “what really happens in the camps” and the value, if any, of the country opening our borders to refugees from neighbouring countries.

“This open-door policy has exposed the country to a terrorism threat mainly from Al-Shabaab militia from Somalia,” said Wafula.

The chairperson of the committee Asman Kamama (Tiaty) has already hinted that closure of the refugee camps will be among the things the committee will be looking into as they dig into the security lapse that led to Al-Shabaab attacking Westgate Mall last month.

Kidnap and assassinate

Yesterday, Wafula said the committee should give names and locations of camps that host refugees in Kenya, and also state when the two biggest camps —Daadab and Kakuma — will be closed down.

The vice chairman of the committee Alois Lentoimaga (Samburu North) pledged that details on the status of the refugee camps will be released in a fortnight.

A leaked brief of the National Intelligence Service dated February this year, indicated that some of the camps harboured militants and also served as storage centres for arms.

 “About 33 Al-Shabaab militia aged between 20 and 23 years, from Somalia, have entered the country through Hagardera and Dagahaley refugee camps. They plan to kidnap and assassinate humanitarian staff and create confusion…” noted a brief released before the March 4 elections.

 

Stories by Alphonce Shiundu, Moses Njagih, Lornah Kibet and Ngari Gichuki