Defence Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has said that President Ruto’s government is going to bring an end to al -Shabab attacks both in the country and in neighbouring Somalia.
Speaking during a public Baraza in Masalani town after meeting elders and community leaders on security matters, Duale said that the government will no longer allow any terrorist attack in any part of the country.
At least 22 officers have died in the last 2 weeks in Garissa and Lamu counties while one suspected al-Shabaab terrorist was arrested last Thursday along Garissa-Dadaab Road by a multi-agency team.
“We want to tell al-Shabaab, we will not allow you, come what, to come to any part of Kenya to preach radical ideologies, kill our security officials and our citizens. Our defense forces will hunt you down whether in our borders or inside Somalia and we will get you,” Duale said.
“This administration is the one which will bring an end to terror attacks both in the country and in Somalia because we have a moral authority to defend our country and participate in regional peace and security,” he added.
The CS said that the government in the next three months will buy sophisticated equipment to help the police and the Kenya defense forces in the fight against Al- Shabab and that the government will not be intimidated in any way.
Duale at the same time ordered all national government administrative officers to either stay on their duty posts on quit.
“If you are an assistant chief or chief or deputy county commissioner, you just stay in your duty area. All government officials must stay in their stations, we will provide security to them,” Deale said.
Interior and National administration Principal Secretary Raymond Omolo who accompanied the CS echoed Duale’s words that officials who do not stay in their duty areas must quit.
Omolo also called for collaboration between the locals and the security officials in the fight against terrorism in the country.
“We have sat down with elders and community leaders and agreed that we must improve the security in Garissa County and we have to finish Al shabaab,” Omolo said.
“If there is any information to help us fight terrorism, please don’t hesitate to share it with us and we will act on it decisively,” he added.
Th PS said that his main work was to keep safe all Kenyans and their property and that he will endeavour to do so.
Elders who spoke at the Baraza pledged to work with the government in the fight against terrorism in the county.
The elders said that they will not be chased away from their homes by the terrorists who have continued to attack security agencies on patrol along the roads.
” We will not be chased from our country by terrorists. We made a declaration that we will fight against these people who are disturbing us in the forests. Today we are here to affirm that,” said Aden Shidow Dama, an elder in Garissa county.
“We will not fear them, we will work with the government so that we chase them away,” he added.
Ahmed Yusuf Ali, another elder warned the residents against sympathising with the terrorists and instead report any suspicious persons to the security officials.
“Every day our children are dying from land mines and we will not accept that to continue” Ali said.
Present at the event was also Garissa deputy governor Abdi Dagane, MPs Salah Yakub (Fafi), Abdi Ali (Ijara), North Eastern Regional commissioner John Otieno, Garissa County commissioner Boaz cherutich and county assembly speaker Abdi Idle