MP calls for closure of Dadaab refugee camp

By STEVE MKAWALE

KENYA: The Parliamentary Committee on Administration and National Security wants the Government to close down Dadaab refugee camp in northern Kenya and arrange for safe return of all Somali refugees to their country.

Committee chairman Asman Kamama said the United Nations should help Kenya close down the camp, as it has become a breeding ground for terrorists.

“That camp has become a nursery for terrorists. The UN must now understand the security of Kenyans comes first. Even if it is about human rights, it should not be at our expense,” said Kamama, who is also the Tiaty MP.

He said the committee will take unspecified action on immigration and registration of persons officials who were allowing suspected terrorists to sneak into the country.

“Those corrupt officers, who receive money to register illegal aliens, must be held accountable. We want officers in the department to be vigilante and patriotic,” Kamama said.

Security challenges

The lawmaker said criminals were taking advantage of Kenya’s hospitality to launch attacks against Kenyans, adding that closing down all refugee camps will guarantee Kenyans safety.

Speaking in Nakuru County during the burial of former councillor Stephen Kiprono Chumo, the MP condemned the Westgate terror attack, for which the Somalia based Al-Shaabab militia claimed responsibility.

He said terrorists have been finding their way into the country through the refugee camp. Kamama took issue with the security chiefs, saying the attack at the mall and two others in northern Kenya within a week was a clear indication of serious security challenges.