Hon Odinga Interview in South Africa on Westgate Attack

JOHANNESBURG - Former Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga says Kenya is even more determined than ever to play a role in the fight against terrorism.

He was speaking in an interview on eNCA on Thursday evening.

Odinga says despite al-Shabaab's terror attack, the country will not pull troops out of Somalia.

"We will not be intimidated or blackmailed by these desperate acts of terrorism because we did go to Somalia for a reason and that was to protect our own territorial integrity which was under threat.

"We already had a lot of terrorist attacks before our troops went to Somalia. Our presence in Somalia has helped to stabilise that country, we have weakened al-Shabaab substantially in Somalia and normalcy has returned to a very substantial portion of the Somali territory," said Odinga.

His statement follows last week’s terrorist attack on Nairobi’s Westgate Mall, in which more than 60 people have been killed. Forensics teams from around the world are in Kenya helping to recover bodies and identify the terrorists behind the attack.

“Al-Shabaab is part of al-Qaeda, it’s part of a bigger international terrorist organisation and as you know this is not an issue that can be eradicated overnight. It has a process, but the international community is determined to proceed with this and Kenya must play its part in this whole confrontation,” he said. 

• This story has been updated with more comments from Raila Odinga.

-eNCA

Raila Odinga Statement on Ending of the Westgate Siege

Fellow Kenyans, following the announcement of the conclusion of the Westgate Siege, I wish to join you in mourning the innocent souls we lost to this senseless act of violence.
 
I offer my profound condolences to the bereaved families. May you find comfort in the unprecedented goodwill and unity shown by Kenyans in the face of this tragedy. To the injured, I pray for your quick and full recovery.
 
I urge the Kenyan nation to stand firm in the face of adversity. I assure those who thought that they would break the Kenyan spirit, that not only have they failed but they have succeeded in reinforcing our resolve to achieve the Kenyan dream.
 
I assure the Government of our full support, as the Coalition for Reforms and Democracy, as we seek to ensure that this never happens again.
 
I acknowledge the efforts of our security services in mitigating the loss of life and property these past three days. We shall support them moving forward as we seek to build capacity to respond to such threats in future.
 
At this time, I would like to commend the sacrifice of our brave troops putting their lives on the line on a daily basis in the harsh war front in Somalia so that our way of life is protected here at home. Your sacrifice is a shining example to the rest of us on what it truly means to be Kenyan.
 
God bless you, God bless Kenya! 

Rt. Hon. Raila A. Odinga

PM Raila Visits Eastleigh and Condemns Terrorism

Nairobi, November 22, 2012 PMPS
Prime Minister Raila Odinga today strongly condemned the recent terrorist attacks in Eastleigh, Nairobi and in Garissa saying the government will ruthlessly deal with the perpetrators of the violence against innocent people .

He made it clear that the government will not let terrorism to take root in the country adding whether it is the infamous Al Shabab or any other terrorist group will meet the full wrath of the law. “As a government, we will not abdicate our responsibility to provide security to people and their property,” he added.

The PM was speaking in Eastleigh , Nairobi where he went to console those who were affected by the recent terrorism incident in the area in which seven people lost their lives and property worth millions of shillings destroyed.

Mr. Odinga who arrived in the country today after a week long official visit to Malaysia and Korea also lashed out at xenophobic attacks against members of the Somali community after a terrorist hurled a grenade in a matatu plying the KiKomba-Kariobangi route killing the seven people and injuring several others.

He appealed to all Kenyan communities to live peacefully together , saying all Kenyans should enjoy equal rights irrespective of their ethnicity. He said, “Our diversity is should be our source of strength and not weakness.”

The Prime Minister especially called for religious tolerance among people of different faiths saying terrorism transcended religion , race, and tribe adding criminals must be treated as individuals not as members of a tribe by apportioning blame to their tribes.

The Premier at the same time called on eligible Kenyans to register as voters in the ongoing voter registration exercise to be able to participate in the March 4th. general election and elect leaders of their choice.

Mr. Odinga noted that once again Kenyans have an opportunity to change the leadership of this country , which he blamed for the slow pace of development in the last fifty years. “It is only through the power of the ballot that you can effect that change,” he added.

He recounted that Kenya and Korea were at par economically at Kenya’s independence in 1963, but due to poor leadership Kenyans were still wallowing in poverty yet Korea was now a developed country.

He said,“ This poor state of affairs in our country is what I intent to change in the first five years of my Presidency so that we can attain newly industrialized status like Korea.”

Mr. Odinga who is ODM party leader lauded Bishop Margaret Wanjiru who was present for resisting attempts to woo her into joining tribal based parties. He noted that Bishop Wanjiru has stood resolutely in support of ODM despite being enticed to decamp by tribal bigots.

Deputy speaker Farah Maalim , Bishop Wanjiru and Kamukunji MP Yusuf Hassan also condemned terrorism saying Kenyans should not play into terrorists’ hands who want to set Kenyan communities against each other as they have done to Somalia.