Kenya is free of Ebola, Uhuru assures foreign tourists

Kilifi, Kenya: President Uhuru Kenyatta has assured tourists that Kenya is free of Ebola and is capable of controlling the disease in the unfortunate event of a breakout.

The President said tourists especially those from Western countries have been misinformed about the Ebola outbreak in West Africa and assured them Kenya was safe.

“Kenya is safe from Ebola and you should have nothing to fear to come here,” said the President when he spoke in Kilifi town today.

The President said some commentators in the West have spread fear by erroneously claiming that every part of Africa has been affected by Ebola.

The President said Kenya has the capability to control the disease if it is detected in the region. “There is no Ebola in Kenya and we are able to control and contain it,” he said.

President Kenyatta said this when he assured Kilifi residents that the Government will do all it can to support the tourism industry, which is the major economic activity in the coast region.

The President also called on residents of the region to be united and support the anti-terrorism fight because terrorism was the main reason that has led to the slump in the sector.

He said foreigners collude with local youth to carry out terrorism activities which in the end hurt the locals.

The President said local youth should not listen to those who brainwash them with twisted ideas because there is no religion that advocates for murder of innocent people.

President Kenyatta also urged the youth of the region not to be swayed by propaganda by politicians whose aim is not development.

He said Kenya has lagged behind for the last fifty years because its political leaders had wrong priorities.

“It is true that we have not invested enough in important things like research because politicians always engage in noisemaking and gossip instead of uniting and working for the people,” he said.

He said no nation can deliver for its people when its leaders are always divided and engaging in unnecessary arguments all the time.

“We need to create jobs, build roads, we want to ensure every school in Kenya has electricity and much more but we cannot do this when we are not united. There can be no progress in times of crisis,” he said.

He called on politicians to rise above the politics of hatred so that they can contribute in moving the country forward.

“We can achieve development when we have unity and when we abandon the politics concocted decades ago that is built on tribalism and religion,” said the President when he addressed Kilifi residents at the Karisa Maitha Stadium.

The President said the Government will embark on ensuring that cashew nut farming becomes profitable. He said a cashew nut factory in Kilifi which was acquired by private investors should return to Government ownership.

He said an Export Processing Zone will soon be established in Kilifi and that would create more jobs for locals.

Kilifi Governor Amason Kingi said he will work closely with the Government in order to accelerate development.

“To those who argue that because we were elected on CORD ticket we should work in a certain manner, I tell them to read the Constitution. I am obligated to work with the National Government and I want to work with the National Government,” he said.

Tana River Governor Hussen Dado said coast county governments will continue working closely with the National Government.

Kilifi North Governor Gideon Mungaro said local politicians will remain united in their resolve to support and cooperate with the Government.

“We have done our research and we say that we will continue being united and work closely with the Government,” he said.

Kilifi Senator Stewart Madzayo and almost ten MPs addressed the function.