President Uhuru Kenyatta has called for the evacuation of residents in insecure parts of Lamu to safer areas and vowed vengeance against insurgents behind recent massacres of security officers and civilians.
The President described the insurgents as terrorists who should be greeted "with fire" and promised to "bury them" in a scathing speech that also called on local leaders and residents to support ongoing security operations.
Uhuru warned that he will not permit some residents of Lamu to be evicted from the area or be treated as "visitors" because all Kenyans are allowed to settle in any part of Kenya.
"No one is allowed to call you a visitor. There are visitors in Kenya because anyone has a right to settle anywhere and no one will evict you," he told residents of Mpeketoni.
The Head of State was speaking days after the recent massacres of civilians and police officers in Pandanguo and the botched kidnapping of Public Works Principal Secretary Mariam el Maawy at Milihoi.