Kenya won’t send troops to South Sudan, says Amina

By FELIX OLICK

Kenya is unlikely to send its troops to South Sudan despite a request from the United Nations, Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohammed has said.

The minister revealed yesterday that Kenya was among nations that had been approached by UN to contribute soldiers to restore peace and security in the troubled nation. “The UN Security council has approached several countries, Kenya and Rwanda among them, to contribute 5,500 peacekeeping force,” she said.

“Some countries have already agreed to provide troops to South Sudan, others are still considering the provision of those troops. Kenya supports the implementation of the Security Council but is unlikely to send its troops.”

Speaking during the signing of her ministry’s performance contracts, Amina also dismissed a report by Human Rights Watch that gave Kenya a thumbs down on human rights. “A foreigner is ill-equipped to tell us how our human rights record is. Let Kenyans be the first talk,” she said.

Early this week, Human Rights Watch claimed that supporters of President Kenyatta and his deputy were harassing human rights crusaders Maina Kiai and Gladwell Otieno.