Lenku, Kimaiyo on the spot over armed militia

National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi Thursday ordered the Cabinet Secretary for Interior Joseph ole Lenku and the Inspector General of Police David Kimaiyo to meet the House Committee on National Security to explain how they will deal with "armed foreigners" in the country.

An irate Mr Muturi dismissed as "very casual" an answer that Mr Lenku had delivered to the House, and wondered why the committee had even entertained it.

He upbraided the chairman of the House team for National Security, Asman Kamama (Tiaty), for conveying the answer to the House.

"This is a terrible admission of so many irregular things that are happening in this country. It says that for the last 18 years, we have had aliens in our country. They (authorities) are not telling us their status; are these people refugees? They are even admitting that they (aliens) are armed!" said the Speaker.

He said the Cabinet secretaries "need to come" to the House to explain the gaps in the way they are running the country.

"What is the Cabinet Secretary trying to say about this? The response is very casual, it is very inconsiderate towards Kitui South MP Rachel Nyamai," said Muturi.

Ms Nyamai had told the House that there were thousands of armed foreigners in the forest between Kitui and Tana River counties and that she had met the Inspector General over the issue.

Mr Kamama agreed that the Ministry of Interior had failed to do its job.

"There's a lot of laxity within the police force. It has taken 18 years for aliens to come to Kenya and occupy Kenyan territory. They stay in a game reserve. They are just somewhere doing their own things. They are not in Kitui, they are not in Tana River," said Kamama.

He said Lenku and Kimaiyo would be summoned by the committee to explain why the militia was hiding in Kitui.