Kenya will not join Somali war

Kenya will not send its security forces to fight in Somalia. Internal Security minister George Saitoti said on Sunday the government will instead beef up security at the border with Somalia to prevent the fighting from spilling over to Kenya.

This comes only a week after a group of al-shabbab militants spread a series of attacks against the Somali Transitional Government in Mandera town killing one person and injuring several civilians.

The al-Shabaab accuses Kenya of allowing Ethiopian soldiers to operate from its border towns to launch attacks at the militia group. But Kenya denies this. (Read: Kenya alert over Shabaab threats)

Last week, the government announced an indefinite closure of its border with Somalia following the terrorism threats from al-shabaab.

“We will guard our borders and will not accept people to come and fight from our country. If they want to fight, they should remain there (in Somalia),” said Prof Saitoti.

Calm is slowly returning to Mandera town after eight days of fighting in Somalia disrupted business on the Kenyan side.

On Sunday, residents started returning to their homes in upper sections of the town, which borders the Somali town of Bullahawa.

Security agencies have been urging the residents to return to their homes, which were destroyed by bombs and bullets in exchanges between the insurgents and Transitional Federal Government soldiers on the Somali side.

More than 300 families in Mandera had fled their homes after stray bullets injured five Kenyans and destroyed about four homesteads.

Mandera police boss Stephen Ruto said two Kenyans — an elderly man and a 14-year-old boy were injured by the stray bullets fired from Somalia side but the old man has since been treated and discharged.

“Some Kenyans living close to the border fled their homes out of fear but no Kenyan was attacked by insurgents during the fight. Some people were injured by stray bullets,” said Mr Ruto.

And Mandera town has been under 8pm to 5am curfew over the past four years when the sanction was introduced following a security operation by the military and the police conducting disarmament exercise.

But area police boss said the curfew was not official, but a temporary security measure. “When we stop people at night to ask what they are up to, that is what they call a curfew,’ said the OCPD, Mr Ruto.

The border between Kenya and Somalia remains closed as security personnel patrol the area.