A section of elders from Garissa have cautioned residents of Northern Kenya to be wary of a section of Somalia leaders out to incite them against the government.
Addressing the press in Garissa town today, the elders led by Kenya Livestock Marketing Council chair Dubat Amey said that the leaders were using the media to peddle propaganda aimed at creating ‘bad blood between Kenyans and their government’.
Amey told the Somalia leadership to use their energy in resolving myriads of problems facing their citizens.
He thanked the Kenyan leadership under President Uhuru Kenyatta ‘for restraining itself against all the provocations and the naked hostility from Somalia’.
“Kenya is a neighbour to Somalia and it’s a God given status. The Somali leaders are using the media to incite Kenyans against their government. We want to pass one message to the leaders, we Kenyans are committed to this country. We support the leadership of this country,” said Amey.
“We want to tell the Somali authority, please concentrate on your problems. Solve the problems of your country and keep off Kenyan affairs,” he added.
Amey said that Kenya has done a lot of favours to Somalia by hosting over 500,000 refugees at the vast Dadaab camps in Garissa county.
Mid last month, Somalia severed diplomatic ties with Kenya, accusing it of violating Somali sovereignty and meddling in its internal affairs before the general election.
In a televised broadcast, the Information Minister Osman Dubbe said Somalia had ordered all its diplomats in Kenya to return, while Kenyan diplomats in Somalia were ordered to leave within 7 days.
“Kenya continues meddling in our internal political affairs and it has ignored our previous calls to stop violating our sovereignty,” Dubbe announced on state-run SNTV.
A week later, Somalia claimed that Kenya has been mobilizing its troops as well as arming militia to attack Somalia security installations.
By Jacob Songok
