Uhuru summons KDF bosses over raid

President Uhuru Kenyatta on Tuesday summoned military generals to Mombasa as Kenya Defence Forces intensified counter-attacks against Al-Shabaab who raided a KDF camp in Somalia on Friday.

The Army, Airforce and Navy commanders — led by Chief of Kenya Defence Forces Samson Mwathethe — flew to the Coast for the meeting with the President at State House, Mombasa.

After the high-level security talks, the President addressed the nation in a televised address where he again warned that those who attacked the KDF camp at El Adde in the Gedo region, northwestern Somalia, would be tracked down and punished.

“We are well aware peace and security have their price,” the President said in his address. “Our job is to minimise the risk to our people. I’m proud to say that our forces are ready to do their duty. Their bravery is undimmed and for this, we, as a nation, are grateful to all of them.”

GROUND OFFENSIVE

As the President spoke, KDF jets and other aircraft were deployed to support a ground offensive to find the terrorists and also search and rescue KDF survivors of the attack.

The government is yet to release figures of the Kenyan soldiers killed or injured in the attack but on Tuesday night, four bodies of fallen soldiers were flown to Nairobi’s Wilson Airport where they were received by military bosses, including Gen Mwathethe and Defence CS Raychelle Omamo. A brief ceremony was held in honour of the fallen soldiers.

President Kenyatta asked every Kenyan to stand with the families of the soldiers who laid down their lives and paid the ultimate sacrifice in the face of terrorism.

He said the military will proceed with burial plans in line with its traditions. “I stand with Kenya Defence Forces and I ask you, my fellow Kenyans to do the same,” he said.

“Enemies of humanity struck at brave patriots, who are in Somalia to protect our families, our nation, and the world,” he said. “Our fallen Heroes are returning home. The injured are in the care of our medical staff. As their Commander-in-Chief, and as a parent, my heart goes out to them and to their grieving families. Let us come together in prayer for all of them.”

The President said that Kenyan soldiers were carrying out intense search, rescue and recovery operations to ensure all the dead and injured were brought home.

“That said, we are determined and committed to pursuing those criminals who perpetrated this act and ensure that they shall pay heavily for their crime,” he said and warned that the region would not know peace so long as the threat of terrorism remained.

By Tuesday, the Department of Defence was yet to release the names of the soldiers who were killed in the line of duty and those who were captured.

Sources from the military said that there were between 80 and 150 soldiers at the camp at the time of the attack.

So far, about 30 survivors and four bodies have been brought back to Nairobi.

Reports indicated that among those held hostage was Major Obuoge, who was the camp commander but the military has refused to confirm or deny the claim.

On Saturday, Al Shabaab released an audio of two men they claimed were KDF who were captured during the Friday attack. In the audio, one of the soldiers says that the camp was overrun by Al Shabaab and many of his colleagues were killed. They sounded as though they had been coerced to plead with the government to resolve the matter peacefully and ensure their safe release.

One of them, who said his name was Isaac Balewa, says in the audio: “I’m appealing to the government of Kenya, and the African Union to facilitate our release peacefully from Al-Shabaab so that we can go on with our daily lives.”

The soldier is identified as Private Lawrence Kamau. He says he has served in the military for the last seven years but had been in Somali for only two weeks.

The military has made special arrangements with Kenya Civil Aviation (KCAA) to allow the plane carrying the bodies of the soldiers land at the Wilson Airport past the normal operating hours.

NAVIGATION EQUIPMENT

Ordinarily, no aircraft is allowed to land at Wilson after 8.30pm. The airport lacks sophisticated radio signal navigation equipment that helps pilots to land in poor weather or low visibility.

In most cases, late night flights are directed to JKIA.

It was not immediately established how long it would take to bring all the bodies home after reports indicated that the Al Shabaab militants had planted grenades and land mines in the area surrounding the KDF camp.

Tuesday, Cord leader Raila Odinga welcomed the President’s assurance that all measures were being taken to bring home the fallen and injured heroes, and that their families were being given the support and information they needed.

“We share the President’s faith that our soldiers did not die in vain,” he said and called for unity to defeat Al-Shabaab.

Former Cabinet minister Nicholas Biwott and leader of the New Vision Party, also condemned the attack.