State must secure non-locals in Northern Kenya

The continued attacks on non-locals in the Northern and North Eastern regions of the country raise questions and concerns that require urgent and decisive action. Whereas these attacks have been generally blamed on suspected Al Shabab militants, proponents of this narrative are losing their candour by the day. The Al Shabab angle to the attacks were initially founded on the argument that the group was unhappy with the presence of Kenya forces in Somalia. Their attacks on Kenyans were therefore meant to force the government withdraw its troops from Somalia. Indeed, a section of political and civil society leaders have pushed for Kenya to move out of Somalia. Unfortunately, this perspective has failed to explain why the attacks have mainly been against Kenya when there are several other nations with troops in the Amisom, including our neighbours Uganda, Ethiopia, Burundi and Djibouti.

The other confounding factor in the attacks in Northern and North Eastern Kenya is their focus on non-locals. If indeed it is Al Shabab attacking Kenya to force our troops out of Somalia, why the selective targeting of non-locals – read non-Muslims? Are the locals not also Kenyans whose blood would speak equally loudly to the government to make haste out of Somalia? Or does it mean once this region is rid of non-locals, the Al Shabab would be satisfied and no longer be bothered with the presence of Kenya troops in Somalia? These and many such questions linger in the minds of many. What becomes clear is that, whereas initially the Al Shabab did target Kenya in retaliatory attacks – and they said as much – the continued insurgencies require more plausible explanation.