ODM demands KDF troops withdrawal from Somalia to save lives

By RAWLINGS OTIENO

Kenya: The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) wants the Government to present the country with a road map for the withdrawal of Kenyan soldiers from Somalia.

ODM said in the aftermath of the second terror attack since the Government launched the war on terror, hundreds of Kenyans have continued to lose their lives, a situation the party said is getting out of hand.

ODM acting leader Anyang’ Nyong’o demanded that the Government should table a road map for a secure Kenya and a stable Somalia.

The Opposition party also demanded a plan which expedites the training of Somali forces to take charge of their country and for accelerating Somalia’s economic development, particularly through infrastructure that gives Somalis a stake in achieving a better future.

Loss of loved ones

“We are forced to ask again: When are our troops getting out of Somalia? What is the game plan for our exit? Where is the road map for a secure Kenya and a stable Somalia?” posed Prof Nyong’o in a statement sent to newsrooms yesterday.

The party asked why Kenya was still unable to rally development partners to stabilise Somalia claiming that it was part of the plan when the Kenyan troops moved in to the war-torn country.

“It is our position as a party that as a country, Kenya has done its bit in Somalia and we have suffered enough for it. We are forced to demand once again that the Government presents us with a road map for withdrawal of our troops from Somalia,” said Nyong’o.

The Orange party said Kenyan troops seem to be staying in Somalia without realising the full costs and are now paying for it, noting that families have lost bread winners and loved ones and the Kenya Defence Forces is not coming to their aid.

Nyong’o claimed that despite losing loved ones in the terror attacks, the Jubilee regime has remained tight-lipped as the crisis gets worse.

He questioned what the top brass in the military and Government were getting out of Operation Linda Nchi when the country is under attack day in day out because of its presence in Somalia.

“While we recognise the courage and professionalism of our military that have made Somalia a much better place today, we also know that Somalia still has persistent insurgency to deal with and it continues to be a magnet for international terrorists,” he added.

He said Kenyans are increasingly feeling that they are on their own on security at a time other indicators like cost of living are equally bad.