Uhuru: Attack won’t cow us into leaving Somalia

By MOSES NJAGIH

NAIROBI; KENYA: President Uhuru Kenyatta Tuesday vowed that the Kenya Defence Forces will remain in Somalia until stability is achieved in the country.

Leading Kenyans in national inter-religious prayers at the KICC, Uhuru also announced that he will constitute a commission of inquiry into the handling of intelligence information on the attack to probe possible lapses.

The president said Kenya will not be cowed and intimidated by the terror attacks into withdrawing her forces from Somalia, saying the troops would only be recalled if stability in Somalia is guaranteed.

Uhuru said that it was ironical for Al-Shabaab to demand the withdrawal of the Kenyan forces and use their presence to justify its continued attacks. Kenyan soldiers, he explained, went to restore order in the country after two decades of lawlessness.

“If their desire is for us to remove our forces, let them do what they should have done 20 years ago, otherwise we will remain there until they bring order in their nation,” said Uhuru during the prayers organised by the three main religious faiths in the country – Christian, Muslim and Hindus.

Uhuru said that Kenya sent its forces to Somalia to pursue the terrorists after they abused the country’s goodwill to host refugees running away from violence, and started waging their attacks.

“Let me remind them that we are not the ones who first went there. They first came here. We sent troops there to help them bring order in their nation,” said the president.

Uhuru said that Kenyans will rise up from the ashes of the terror attack and succeed in the fight against terrorism.

He said that while there will always be attempts by the Al-Shabaab to destroy the national fabric by trying to divide Kenyans along religious lines, the spirit of Kenyans will reign supreme and overcome the plans of the terrorists.

“We know them.  However hard they endeavour to disguise their intentions, we can always tell. We have resisted them before and we shall resist them now. Just as we have succeeded before, we shall succeed again,” said Uhuru as he rallied Kenyans to remain strong and united in the face of adversity.

Divide its people

Uhuru’s speech at the KICC grounds appeared to instil hope to a nation devastated by the terror attack and reeling under threats of fresh attacks by the Somalia insurgents.

The president urged Kenyans against falling to the ploy of the “common enemy” by showing their unity, even in their religion diversity.

“We are healing from a wound inflicted by the hand of fiery intolerance and hatred. …They hoped to destroy our society and divide its people along religious lines, but we fought back as one people, and continue to nurse our grievous wound together.  We will heal each other’s’ wounds, and defend our nation together,” said the President.

Deputy President William Ruto said Kenya will not run away from its international obligation of ensuring that peace returns in Somalia, even as he urged Kenyans to be emboldened by the attack targeted at its nationhood.

“The doctrine of those who killed and perpetrated this attack is primitive, backward and barbaric. They are evil men and they belong in hell,” said Ruto, who requested the postponement of his trial at the International Criminal Court until this morning to join Kenyans in the prayers.

He added: “We will remain as one. The Muslim will be the Christian’s keeper just as the Hindu will be the keeper of the Sikh”.

Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga castigated countries issuing travel advisories to their citizens against Kenya, saying they were not acting in the best interest of the country as friendly nations.