Police warn of traffic disruptions in Nairobi over visit of Israel Prime Minister

Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Nairobi, Kenya: Police say there would be disruptions of traffic flow in Nairobi over the arrival of Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Police urge motorists to cooperate with traffic officers on the ground who will be controlling the flow.

According to Nairobi police boss Japheth Koome, the roads to be affected include Waiyaki Way, Uhuru Highway, Parliament Road, Kenyatta Avenue, State House Road and their environs.

“We urge for cooperation on the said roads and this will be abrupt because we have visitors,” he said.

Netanyahu and his delegation of about 50 businessmen arrived in Nairobi on Monday night for talks with his host President Kenyatta. He is expected to hold talks and visit some places in the city including State House and Parliament’s mausoleum site hence affect movement of vehicles.

Netanyahu’s visit coincides with the legendary hostage rescue in Entebbe, Uganda. Movies have been shot and books written on the heroic exploits of the Israeli commandoes. The raid was even taught at military colleges including the Sandhurst as a model special forces operation.

But the rescue plan could not have worked without Kenya’s help. The planes landed in Kenya for refueling and the injured were also treated here.  The army and the General Service Unit were used to secure the airport clearly showing the Kenyan connection in the operation. Operation Entebbe looked like a scene from a Hollywood Movie. Under the cover of darkness, a plane carrying Israeli commandos escaped the enemy radar to land at the Entebbe Airport in Uganda. The men in uniform had a delicate mission. The commandos were here to rescue their citizens who were being held hostage at Entebbe airport. Without wasting time, they raced across the airport, burst into the terminal building that was holding 103 passengers and crew of an Air France plane, which had been hijacked a few days earlier.

The commandos mercilessly gunned down six of the 'hijackers' who attempted to stop them marking the start of the Entebbe raid the night of July 3, 1976.