Uhuru gives NEP leaders 14 days to solve ‘homegrown’ terror attacks

President Uhuru Kenyatta gave North Eastern leaders 14 days to come up with an amicable solution on security challenges in the region that has affected various activities including education.

The President told the leaders who included governors Ali Roba (Mandera), Mohamed Abdi Mohamud (Wajir), Ali Korane (Garissa), leader of majority in the House Aden Duale and Adan Keynan (Eldas) among other Members of Parliament that the ongoing terror attacks are homegrown and must be addressed by the locals.

According to some of those present, the president told the group that security agents have sealed off the main Kenya-Somalia border and there were no more Al-Shabaab terrorists coming into Kenya.

Uhuru said the solution to the issues affecting the region lies with the local leadership.

Governor Korane termed the meeting fruitful since they were able to present issues that are pertinent to the region including education and security.

“He promised to resolve them but called on us to play a bigger role in securing our frontier,” he said.

The leaders had held a consensus-building meeting on the issues affecting the region including security and education, ahead of a scheduled meeting with Uhuru.

The Monday meeting at State House lasted around 30 minutes.

ODM leader Raila Odinga had Sunday told a rally in Garissa Town the President will meet the leaders in efforts to address the issue of insecurity and its impact on education.

The leaders had discussed the current crises of removal of non-Somali teachers by the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) from the region and agreed that some measures must be taken by the leadership to remedy the situation.

TSC removed all non-local teachers from Garissa following incidents of attacks targeting them.

The Government deployed more security personnel to deal with Al-Shabaab militants behind the attacks.

Security agencies say the trade of contraband goods is the cause of increased attacks in the region.

At least four people were last week killed after gunmen attacked a bus in Sarmani, Mandera County.

In another incident, officials in Ijara said Al-Shabaab operatives terrorised villagers in Bulagolol village.

A patrol unit deployed to the village established that about 16 Al-Shabaab operatives armed with AK47 rifles visited Bulagolol village, summoned everyone to the Mosque where they informed the villagers that they are Mujahideen (Al-Shabaab) and have had previous exploits in Westgate in Nairobi, Lamu, Tana River and Garissa counties.

Al-Shabaab continues to stage sporadic, low scale attacks in northeastern prefectures of Kenya close to the border with Somalia. The militant group in previous attacks has targeted security patrol units, communication masts (BTS), non-locals especially teachers and public service vehicles.

President Uhuru told the officials to undertake the strongest possible measures against actors and dynamics that enable terrorists to operate in or against the country by ensuring that all economic linkages with terrorists are cut.