DC warns Al Shabaab recruiting ex-SLDF members

By ROBERT WANYONYI

Residents of Mt Elgon District have been warned about the possibility of former Sabaot Land Defence Force (SLDF) members being recruited by Al Shabaab.

Cheptais DC Omar Salat warned the residents against complacency in security matters, saying former SLDF youth may be hired to launch attacks against their country.

Speaking at Cheptais during a function where Livestock Ministry PS Ken Lusaka gave eight cows to local women groups, Mr Salat said security has been stepped up in the area and called for strict surveillance along the Kenya-Uganda border.

"Nowadays you can’t wait to screen an Al Shabaab element by merely looking at the skin colour, tribe or race. They are within our communities and even our own former SLDF youth can be hired because they don’t have jobs," he said.

The DC told the residents to report any suspicious individuals to the Provincial Administration for action.

This appeared to contradict area MP Fred Kapondi, who recently down- played media and human rights organisations’ reports that the SLDF was still active.

Mr Kapondi dismissed human rights groups warning of the rag-tag militia’s threat in the area, saying they only wanted to create propaganda to get foreign funding.

"Let’s stop doing business with conflict management in this area. Those talking about SLDF all the time must be told that the group is no more and we are now concentrating on development alone," he said.

And Mr Lusaka warned local residents against allowing Mt Elgon to slide back into anarchy.

"We have a good opportunity to return Mt Elgon onto the path of development after years of chaos and it would be very sad if you can allow your youth to be sucked into crime again," warned Lusaka.

He said the cattle programme was part of an initiative by the African Union Commission and African governments to assist communities that have been hard hit by Trypanosomiasis. The cattle are provided after elimination of the disease.

The PS on behalf of the Government signed an agreement with the Coordinator of the Pan-African Tsetse and Trypanosomiasis Eradication Campaign Hassane Mahamat Hassane to support a conference scheduled for December 9.