President Uhuru Kenyatta says Kenya committed to fighting terrorism

By MWANIKI MUNUHE

President Uhuru Kenyatta has castigated the travel advisory sent by the United Kingdom against Kenya and dismissed it as a ‘misleading picture of the security situation.’

A visibly annoyed Uhuru further said terrorism was not an evil born in Kenya but a worldwide phenomenon that affects many countries including those issuing travel advisories.

He said his Government will however not lose focus on the fight against terrorism and will work together with friends of Kenya to ensure terrorism is defeated.

“Earlier this week, some of our foreign partners issued travel advisories. These only cover specific parts of the country, not the whole of it. Nonetheless, they give a misleading picture of our security situation, and

they run the risk of inadvertently damaging our security. The misunderstanding and risk could have been avoided if the governments concerned had consulted more closely with us,” he said.

The President without mincing words said the acts such as issuing travel advisories only strengthen the will of terrorists as opposed to fighting terror.

“This is an evil that all of us around the world must unite to fight…we in Kenya are committed to the fight against terrorism and I ask all friends of Kenya to join us in fighting this evil,” he said.

The President further said the Government will continue to market Kenya to other destinations. The president was, however, quick to point out that it was not his business to comment on a decision made by other governments.

He was addressing the media at State House, Nairobi, only minutes after twin explosions happened in Nairobi’s Gikomba market killing at least ten people.

The press briefing was scheduled to kick off at 2pm but it was delayed as the President was reportedly getting briefs on the Gikomba explosion before he emerged to address the media.

Away from the tradition where the President is normally flanked by other senior government officials, yesterday press briefing was uniquely prepared in the sense that apart from State House spokesperson Manoah Esipisu, the President’s private secretary Jomo Gecaga and the President’s security, no other senior government official was seen within the premises of state house.

President Kenyatta indicated beyond the continuation of the security operation that begun a month ago, that the Government has taken further steps to tighten the security around the country.

“My Government has entered into a five-year contract with Safaricom to provide communications and surveillance equipment for our disciplined services. In time, the new security systems will be in constant communication with the national command centre that has already been set up. There will be a continuous interaction and exchange of data between the command centre and our men and women on the ground,” he said.

The Safaricom agreement, said the president, allows the Government to deploy 2,000 CCTV cameras in locations around Nairobi and Mombasa which have been hardest hit by the terrorists.