A day after President Uhuru Kenyatta delivered his State of the Nation address, we in the Orange Democratic Movement asked the government to, among other things, present the country with a road map for the withdrawal of our troops from Somalia.
Today, in the aftermath of the second terror attack since the government launched what we advised was an ill conceived and poorly executed plan to rid the country of militants, we are forced to demand once again that the government presents us with a roadmap for withdrawal of our troops from Somalia.
We are forced to ask again; When are our troops getting out of Somalia What is the game plan for our exit? Where is the roadmap for a secure Kenya and a stable Somalia?
It is our position as a party that as a country, Kenya has done its bit in Somalia and we have suffered enough for it. We are asking; why are we unable to rally development partners to stabilize Somalia with development support? That was always part of the plan as our troops moved into Somalia.
Today, we seem to be staying in Somalia without realizing the full costs and we are now paying for it. Families have lost bread winners and loved ones and KDF is not coming to their aid. In the middle of all this, the jubilee regime is tight lipped as the crisis gets from bad to worse.
What is it that the top brass in the military and government are getting out of Operation Linda Nchi? How can we justifiably talk of Linda Nchi when we are under attack day in day out because of our very presence in Somalia?
As a party, we believe Somalia has always been at peace with Kenya. We therefore demand that Kenyans be told why what was a friendly intervention led us into conflict.
While we recognize the courage and professionalism of our military that have made Somalia a much better place today, we also know that Somalia still has persistent insurgency to deal with and it continues to be a magnet for international terrorists.
But we feel it is time for the Government to present to us a clear plan for ending our presence in Somalia. We want a clear plan for transferring responsibility for Somalia's security to the Somalis. We are asking for the plan for expediting the training of the Somali forces to take charge of their country and for accelerating Somalia’s economic development, particularly through infrastructure that gives Somalis a stake in achieving a better future.
That was always the plan when our sons and daughters moved into this territory where even the devil feared to tread.
We are concerned at the casual treatment that these attacks have been receiving from the government. We recall that when terrorists hit Likoni on March 23rd, the president proceeded with his trip to Tanzania the next day, March 24th.
When Eastleigh was attacked on March 31st, the president proceeded with his trip to Belgium and April the next day, April 1.
The latest attack in Mombasa comes only a day before the Presidents trip to Abuja, which we believe will proceed as if nothing has happened.
The people of Kenya are increasingly feeling that they are on their own on security at a time other indicators like cost of living are equally bleak. We, as a party, demand convincing action and answers.
Hon. Prof P. Anyang Nyongo
Ag. Party Leader,
ODM.
No comments:
Post a Comment